Nigerian painter and sculptor Ben Enwonwu is one of the most influential African artists of the 20th century and ranked sixth on the MoMAA 100 Top Ranked African Modern Artists. Enwonwu’s pioneering career paved the way for the postcolonial proliferation of modern African art and brought it to international prominence. Celebrated since 1950 by the international media as “the greatest African artist”, he used his fame to support the anti-colonial cultural and political movement of Négritude, and created a series of paintings and sculptures of the same name, which celebrate Africa and Black art. The Enwonwu crater on the planet Mercury is named in his honour.
