Let’s hear it for Sunday Chikaodinaka Chukwu: The “Nigerian” Metal Sculptor
Sunday Chikaodinaka Chukwu is among the young African sculptors who believes that his genre of art is bigger than what, how or where — and for good reason too.
A graduate of Sculpture major from the Department of Fine and Applied Arts, University of Benin (Edo State, Nigeria), Sunday has mastered the “art” of using scrap metal and mild steel, to create a footprint that would inspire diligence and creativity for upcoming Nigerian artists.
I shared a post of his exploits on LinkedIn recently, where I summarised a background to the man and his motivation, based on a 2019 feature of this “uncelebrated metal sculptor” in African Palette. Here’s a sneak peek of the overarching message:
With a rich palette of intercultural upbringing which spans from “Tudun Fulani” where he was born, to Bosso market where his parents carry out their day to day business activities, both in Minna, Niger State, Nigeria … Sunday is today a multi-genre talent who has excelled in all of his selected creative endeavors — visual arts, performing arts, motivational speaking and oratory.
Talking about motivation, two of his works have caught my eye — Education, which is displayed in Gbaiko (Minna, Niger state, Nigeria) — and the Sculpture of the “Unknown Corpers” displayed at the NYSC (Nigerian Youth Service Corps) orientation camp in Fanisau (Jigawa State, Nigeria).
I’m not done with this man yet, and his inspiration to Nigerian Youth seeking to embrace this vocation — I’m still conversing with him as he works on his other commissioned projects. Just to wrap up, and as pointed out in the African Palette article, this “art type remains one of the most revered among the various branches of visual art.”
