We congratulate our fellow Victor Ekpuk with being among 100 most influential Africans in 2023, as announced by New African, the bestselling pan-African magazine.

One-person African art supremo

Victor Ekpuk has gained international acclaim for his immense contribution to African art and culture. His paintings, drawings, and sculptures reflect his interest in historical narratives and the contemporary African diaspora. He draws inspiration from Nsibidi, an ancient Nigerian system of communication.

He recently held a new solo exhibition of his work, INTERwoven TEXTures, at the Efie Gallery in Dubai- his debut show in the Middle East. At the same time, he also became the first African artist to display a public sculpture in the UAE. This was a significant achievement for the Nigerian creative master, who has honed his craft for more than 30 years.

Ekpuk’s works have been acquired by many prestigious collections, including the Smithsonian National Museum of African-American History and Culture, and Boston Museum of Art.

In recent years, Ekpuk has added large-scale murals, installations, and public art projects to his portfolio. He has received commissions from The Phillips Collection, Washington DC; North Carolina Museum of Art; Memphis Brooks Museum; Washington DC’s city government (for Boone Elementary School); and Bank ABC (Arab Bank Corporation).

Ekpuk’s aspiration, as he puts it with disarming humility, is to leave a legacy as someone who “contributed something worthy to culture”

Read the full text with the 99 influential Africans of 2023 here