Celebrating Diokpa Prince Demas Nwoko @90

* Iconic and legendary impact continues…

By Ambrose Alex Adorn

PRINCE Demas Nwoko (born 1935) is a celebrated Nigerian artist, architect, designer, and writer, known for pioneering African modernism through “natural synthesis” that blends Western techniques with indigenous African forms to create culturally authentic art and architecture. Notably, he designed his own home in Idumuje-Ugboko, Delta State and earned Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the Venice Biennale 2023. A founding member of the influential Zaria Art Society (Zaria Rebels), he advocated for social responsibility in design and established the New Culture School of Arts and Design, Ibadan, and continues to shape African material culture.

Born: 1935, into the royal family of Idumuje-Ugboko, Delta State, Nigeria, his father, an untrained architect, and his Igbo heritage sparked his interest in design and culture. At Zaria Art Society, he studied at the College of Arts, Science, and Technology, where he was among the Zaria Art Society (Zaria Rebels) with fellow artists like Uche Okeke, Bruce Onobrakpeya and Yusuf Grillo.

He was among the Zaria Rebel artists that pioneered the Natural Synthesis theory of art This group promoted “natural synthesis” that merged Western art education with African themes that rejected colonial artistic norms.

As an architecture, Nwoko studied creative architecture in Ibadan and Paris, focusing on traditional African and Arab architecture. He designed the National Arts and Craft Pavilion for Nigerian Independence (1960) and later his iconic family home in Idumuje-Ugboko.

In theatre and design, he became a lecturer and pioneer staff at the University of Ibadan’s School of Drama, where he designed sets and directing, but returned to architecture full-time around 1978.

He published New Culture magazine in the 1970s, where he promoted African design and cultural identity. Known for his paintings, sculptures (like Soja Come Soja Go), and murals, he created art that reflected African life and aesthetics.

His decolonizing aesthetics became a lifelong campaign to decolonize African design and create a globally resonant African modernism.
Nwoko believes art and design must serve the community and inspire positive change by using indigenous materials and techniques.

he received the prestigious Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the 2023 Venice Biennale of Architecture and Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON) fro his outstanding work.

Through his books, lectures, and the New Culture School, he continues to mentors new generations of African designers, as he advocates for a culturally authentic material culture.

* Adorn writes for Ugboko Express