The Adanma Masquerade

Augustine Okpu Eze was a contemporary Nigerian painter and sculptor born in 1934. He was largely self-taught as an artist before receiving formal education and training at the Technical Institute & Trade Centre, Enugu, 1950-1955 and Westham Technical College, London, where he studied Technology & Techniques of Materials, 1963-1964. He was the first recipient of the Mbanefo Trophy for Art, Eastern Nigeria, in 1956. He also won the Sculpture Prize of the Economic Commission of West Africa States, Togo, 1990. Among his notable solo exhibitions as an artist was the "Legacy of Images: The Sculptures of Okpu Eze," Italian Cultural Institute, Lagos, April, 1989; New Africa Centre, London, May 1990. He also participated in group exhibitions in Africa and Europe including the First World Festival of Negro Arts, Dakar, Senegal, 1966 and the 269th exhibition of The Royal Society of British Artists at the Mall galleries, London in 1986, which led to his election as Associate Member of the Royal Society of British Artists. In addition to his artistic practice, Okpu Eze was also highly respected for his knowledge and insights as a scholar. He was a guest art critic to the Nigeria Magazine in the 1960’s. Before his death in 1995, he was the serving president of the Society of Nigerian Artists (SNA).

Done in 1989, Adanma Masquerade is a classic masterpiece denoting the famous contemporary female masquerade of the Igbo people. Adanma or Adamma simply means the beautiful first daughter (of the family). Though worn and performed by a male masker, the mask is designed and decorated to give it a feminine outlook and appeal. The mask is known to be harmless and non-spiritual and is not worshipped by the people as common with other powerful masks. It is specially made for entertainment and can be worn by any man who can comfortably display and perform feminine dance attributes/steps qualities while dancing. Okpu Eze captures the notable female attributes of beauty, elegance, shyness and grace associated with the masquerade which is lauded for its unique ability to “enchant” her spectators with gracious body movements during performance.