Of print and scholarship: deconstructing the literature on printmaking in contemporary Nigerian art

Abstract

Printmaking has long been in use, especially among indigenous art practitioners in Nigeria, it is also very popular among contemporary Nigerian artists who use it as a medium of aesthetic expression. The foundation for scholarship on printmaking was laid by notable scholars; however, writing from their cultural context, a sizable number of these scholars follow the perspectives that confined contemporary printmaking to the Western world and Asian countries. Considering the prolific production of printmaking in Nigeria, this study deconstructs the literature to understand the state of scholarship on printmaking, especially in contemporary Nigerian art. Data collected from published journal articles, books, exhibition catalogues, and Internet sources were subjected to critical analysis. The study concludes that printmaking in Nigeria is so unique that it would continue to attract the attention of art enthusiasts around the globe; hence, it deserves more attention from African art historical scholars.