Bamigboye: A Master Sculptor of the Yoruba Tradition

The first publication on the Yoruba master sculptor Moshood Olusomo Bamigboye

Bamigboye: A Master Sculptor of the Yoruba Tradition is the first monograph dedicated to the 50-year career of the Nigerian artist Moshood Olusomo Bamigboye (ca. 1885-1975). One of the most important Yoruba sculptors of the twentieth century, Bamigboye is best known for the spectacular masks that he carved for religious festivals known locally as Epa. Weighing up to 80 pounds and measuring over 4 feet tall, with intricate superstructures that could feature dozens of finely carved individual figures, these masks represent some of the most complex and elaborate works of Yoruba art ever made. With 190 illustrations, this sumptuous volume presents masterpieces from Bamigboye’s workshop now housed in collections in America, Europe, and Nigeria. Essays situate Bamigboye’s work as part of Africa’s oldest and most dynamic art traditions and consider his sculpture in relation to contemporary Yoruba art, culture, politics, and religion. With new and archival photographs and incorporating oral histories conducted with the artist’s family and community, this catalogue fills a critical void in African art-historical scholarship.