The Drummer

Considered one of Enwonwu’s famous public works in bronze, The Drummer was first commissioned and completed in 1978 for the Nigerian Telecommunications (NITEL) headquarters in Lagos and has been there ever since. As part of the initial development process of his works, Ben Enwonwu was known for experimenting with sketches of his final works in his studio. The rendition of the final piece was much easier and faster once the details of his imagination had been primarily defined. Thus, sketches and miniatures were very important to him as an artist.

This miniature of The Drummer is in the permanent collection of the Yemisi Shyllon Museum of Art and is currently on display at the exhibition “Mirroring Man: Society and Politics in Nigerian Art”, the museum’s maiden exhibition on Nigeria’s art history and the role the nation’s artists have played in shaping the history and identity of their country through art.