The Lone Eater

Uzo Egonu was born in Onitsha in 1931. His first signs of interest in art was evident in his drawings during his education at Sacred Heart College, Calabar. He left Nigeria to the UK as a teenager in 1945 and enrolled in the Camberwell School of Arts and Crafts, London where he studied painting and topography from 1949 to 1952. Till he died in London in 1996, he never came back to Nigeria except once on a 2-day visit in 1977 for the second World Festival of Black Arts and African Culture (FESTAC ’77) held in Lagos. However, Nigeria, and, in particular, Onitsha played a very central role in his art and he ensured he never lost touch with current events and activities in his homeland while abroad. He painted about his rich local culture and heritage back home in Onitsha and also explored the struggles of adaptation to independence by the continent. His new life in London was not left behind as well. He drew inspirations from the new world around him and painted about great sites in London, life and custom of the society etc. His paintings are an interesting, yet mind-bugging mix of very abstract and figurative forms with a dynamic blend of colours of different hues.

The Lone Eater, as the name implies is an abstract depiction of a lady sitting down and enjoying her meal alone. The scene brings to mind a downtown restaurant with tables designed to sit at least 2 people. One cannot tell her current mood as her face has been deliberately left out. Meanwhile, the important parts of her body are portrayed in black with white surrounding margins for visual effects. Uzo is probably exploring the variety of urban life in London with this painting and the interesting ways women spend their personal moments of leisure in the city. Anyone interested is welcome to sit and have a nice conversation if she is in the mood for one.