Nigeria
Born in: 1937
Painting, Sculpture
Simon Obiekezie Okeke was born in 1937, in Igbo Ukwu, Anambra State. He was a painter, sculptor, and curator who received a Diploma in Fine Arts from the Nigerian College of Arts, Science and Technology, Zaria in 1960. He received training at the British Museum, London from 1961-1962, he was employed at the Research laboratory in the same institution at the same time, he also worked as a Technical Officer at the Department of Antiquities.
In 1966, Okeke worked as a Curator at the Nigerian Museum, Lagos. He also worked as a part-time lecturer at Yaba College of Technology, Lagos. He toured museums in Athens, Paris, Rome, and Tripoli.
Okeke was a part of the Zaria Arts Society, he was a founding member of the Society of Nigerian Artists. He died in 1969.
Exhibitions
Simon Obiekezie Okeke's artworks have been shown in several independent and partnered exhibitions in Nigeria and across the world, including the following ones:
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
1. Simon Obiekezie Okeke, Painter, Sculptor, Curator, Ministry of Social Development, Youth, Sports and Culture, Enugu, January 1976.
2. Goethe Institute, Lagos, December 1-19, 1964.
3. Exhibition Centre, Marina, Lagos, October 30 - November 9, 1963.
4. Jos Museum, September 1-28, 1959.
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
1. Franco-German Auditorium, Lagos, November 4-18, 1987.
2. Original Prints from the Third Nsukka Workshop, 1987, Ana Gallery, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, October 29-November 2, 1987.
3. Werbung fur Biafra, Iwalewa-Haus, Bayreuth, Germany, 1985.
4. National Art Exhibition, National Theatre, Lagos, September 25-October1, 1980.
5. 20th Nigerian Independence Anniversary Exhibition of Art, Crafts and Antiquities, Enugu, September 1980.
6. Christian Arts in Nigeria, Holy Trinity Cathedral, Onitsha, June 1979.
7. East Zonal Exhibition: Society of Nigerian Artists, Institute of African Studies, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, October 25-28, 1978.
8. Introducing Ana Gallery, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, January 1978.
9. Exhibition of Works by Contemporary Nigerian Artists, National Theatre, Lagos, September 4-9, 1977.
10. The Living Art of the Igbo, Institute of African Studies, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, April 1977.
FESTAC '77, Lagos, 1977.
11. Nigerian Contemporary Art Symposium, Nsukka 1976, Institute of African Studies, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, March 22-25, 1976.
12. Kunst und Kunsthandwerk aus Biafra, Bonn, Cologne and Trier, Germany, 1969.
13. First World Festival of Negro Arts, Dakar, Senegal, 1966.
14. Inaugural Exhibition of the Society of Nigerian Artists, Exhibition Centre, Lagos, January 16-22, 1964.
15. Nebraska State College, Chadron, Nebraska, USA, 1963.
16. Art From Africa of Our Time, Phelps-Stokes Fund, New York, USA, December 28, 1961 - January 19, 1962.
17. Nigerian National Collection of Antiquities, National Gallery of Rhodesia, Salisbury, Rhodesia, 1962.
18. Independence Exhibition, Lagos, September 20 - October 2, 1960.