Article relating to an individual, 1973
Published by: African Arts magazine
Year published: 1973
Number of pages: 6

This was one of several features on Uzo Egonu that appeared in the magazine African Arts. This piece was in the Winter 1973 issue of the magazine (Volume VI, Number 2). A work by Egonu, Hair Plaiting appeared on the cover of the magazine. Egonu was in this issue because he was a 1972 Prizewinner. The feature appeared on pages 8 - 13 of the magazine. The other prizewinners were Cyprian Shilokoe, Tito Zungu, Louis Maqhubela and Ahmed Louardiri. The piece was illustrated with a number of colour and monochrome plates of work by the artists. The text opens as follows:

“Our annual competition is clearly getting better known across Africa, as can be seen not only by the increase in the number of entries but by the ever greater geographical spread of the regions they represent. The winners, not selected for any artificial intention of demonstrating the range of the countries contributing, give evidence enough of the many nations which joined in our project. As varied as the countries was the mix of styles and techniques in the field of art. There were prints and etchings, batiks, oils and even, as will be seen on the inside front cover, envelope decoration.”

At the front of the magazine the feature was introduced as, “Our fifth annual competition is again proof of the abundant and diverse creative talents to be found in Africa today. While the individuality of each artist is displayed in the subject matter, style and media, all of the prizewinners are nonetheless united by elements which mark each work as distinctly African.”

About Enogu, the text states (in part), “Uzo Egonu will be known to readers of African Arts from the illustration of his prizewinning painting that achieved the distinction of first prize in the BBC African Art Contest, as was described by George Bennett in African Arts, Volume 5, Number 1. He [Egonu] is now living in London and during the last ten years has built up a major reputation as an artist in Europe. He has had a series of one-man showings in London and other British towns - Leicester, Brighton, Edinburgh and Stroud - besides having made a large number of contributions to group exhibitions in major galleries such as the Royal Institute, and exhibitions such as the Camden Exhibition of African Art.”

Elsewhere in the magazine is a colour reproduction of Egonu’s Northern Nigeria Landscape, oil on board, 38 x 60” [1964]