Ogolo

The Ogolo (male spirit) is a ceremonial masquerade in the mmonwu pantheon of the Onitsha-Igbo hometown of Ben Enwonwu, traditionally performed by masked dancers to the accompaniment of drumming. It is characterized by its yellow and red costume decorated with uli lines, and other ornaments including coral beads and brass flanges.

He once said: "I saw the Ogolo among a host of other masquerades at my brother's funeral, and it impressed me a lot. I did a lot of drawings of which I am now painting one after the other. I have focused on the Ogolo masked form that is closely related to the Agbogho Mmuo and Ayolugbe mask. It is part of my recent important works [and] a steady flow of thought and development. I find it extremely beautiful." - Ben Enwonwu, 1987

Other notable igbo masquerades which he explored in his paintings include Ogulugu; Agbogho mmuo (the maiden spirit); Mmonwu Ogonogo (tall masquerade) and Nne mmuo (spirit mother). Enwonwu had first-hand experience of these masquerades, having spent his childhood in Onitsha. He was captivated by the supra-natural energy of their performances and the trace-induced movements of the dancers. He would spend the rest of his artistic career trying to capture these movements on canvas.