​Father & Son

Emmanuel Ekong Ekefrey

"Colour beautifies the world. African masks are seen as an element of ugliness; my role is to use vibrant colours to beautify what is termed as ugly." - Emmanuel Ekong Ekefrey

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Born in 1952 into a lineage of men with the gift of artistry, I have always been inspired by my father who was the finest wood carver in Ikot-Ukap. As a young boy, running around barefoot on the streets of Ndiya village, I played around with charcoal and drew line expression on sand. This has metamorphosized over the years into delicate forms on canvas. My themes are a reflection of common events within the society. My paintings have a signature of "gigantism" a term that I employ to occupy every useful space in my canvas to draw viewers into deeper engagement with my paintings. With my lens on my Ibibio cultural roots, my work celebrates the aesthetics of the ancestral masks of my people with keen emphasis on Ekpe masquerade and the Abang maiden dancers.

I have exhibited my works in major galleries around the world: France, USA, Denmark, Germany, Mexico, Venezuela, and my Fatherland, Nigeria, to mention a few.

Erikan Ekefrey

"Thank you Lord, as I do the work, please establish it. Amen" - Erikan Ekefrey

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Throughout the years, I have learned that my artistry is a amalgamation of life's moments on canvas. I have evolved and my art work is a representation of that evolution. I am a proud Nigerian (Ibibio) artist that delights in sharing my culture, heritage and community to the world. I am influenced by my father, who is also a renowned artist. He is inspired by his father, who was a sculptor in carving wooden images and masquerade masks.

My journey of using vibrant colors, lyrical forms with black lines and mask-life faces with African motif patterns between spaces, and also afro-cubism of a single view-point perspective, as well as contemporary works of encompassing the diverse world we live are all me. I am not only defined by my traditional African works, nor am I only defined by my single perspective works, or even only being defined by the reflection of current social, economical and political realities. I am all of those things.

My art expresses each of them. I tell stories on canvas. When I create, every season is different, but also, every season is me. Whether I do masks, afro-cubism, or contemporary, it is self-expressed by me. I am a vessel being used by God. I'm not bound by one thing when I create. I let God guide my strokes and allow to be used by Him.