January 20, (THEWILL) – The Nigerian visual arts community has been thrown into deep mourning following the death of Abraham Uyovbisere, one of the nation’s most celebrated painters.
Uyovbisere passed away on Thursday, January 16, 2025, in Lagos.
In a statement issued by the Director General of the National Gallery of Art, Ahmed Bashir Sodangi, Uyovbisere was hailed as a towering figure in Nigerian art whose works left an indelible imprint on the country’s cultural landscape.
Sodangi said, “Abraham Uyovbisere was an artist of epic proportions, capturing feminine elegance, romance, and cultural essence through his works.
“His contributions to Nigerian art were monumental, and his passing has created a huge vacuum in the visual art sub-sector.”
Born on July 18, 1963, in Burutu, Delta State, Uyovbisere began his artistic journey with a diploma in Fine Arts in 1984, followed by a First Class Bachelor of Arts degree in 1987 from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.
He later earned a Master of Fine Arts in Painting from the University of Benin.
Uyovbisere was a highly decorated artist, winning several prestigious awards during his lifetime, including the Yusuf Grillo Award in Life Drawing and the T.A. Fasuyi Award for Painting, both in 1987. He also received the Distinguished Artist Award from the Delta State Government in 2006 and was honored with the Most Dedicated Program Director Award by the Ovie Brume Foundation in 2008.
Widely recognised for his mastery in capturing themes of femininity, romance, and cultural heritage, Uyovbisere exhibited both locally and internationally.
His works are housed in distinguished collections, including the Nigerian National Collection, the Presidency, and institutions across Europe and America.
Janefrances Ebere Chibuzor is a Tourism Writer at THEWILL
