When
Chinwe Chukwuogo-Roy (M.B.E) passed on early this week, a great portraitist of
international repute was lost.
Sources said she died in
her U.K-base after battling cancer over the last three years.
Chinwe… Brushing Kings and Lords
BY TAJUDEEN SOWOLE
(First published, January 8-14, 2006)
WHAT does it really take to get the Kings and Lords
sit before a painter?
United
Kingdom-based Chinwe Chukwuogo-Roy, a native of Awka, Eastern Nigeria, Chinwe
gives an insight into her approach when working on a portrait at that
level of commission: "It is not something to be undertaken lightly and a
successful commission will involve time and effort on both sides, as well as
establishing a good personal rapport." She has a way of putting her
subjects at ease adding that she likes to chat whilst working so that she can
study and record how a face animates and changes during conversation, for
instance.
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| Chinwe Chukwuogo-Roy (Self-portrait) |
"The next stage is the first sitting. A pastel study may be completed
in one sitting, whereas a full length oil portrait will involve several
sittings, sometimes involving the artist in making drawings, working on
preparatory studies in oils and pastels and sometimes taking photographs to be
used as a source of reference for the final work."
But the approach
is a bit more challenging when it comes to group portrait, she explains.
Chukwuogo-Roy recommends making individual studies of each sitter before
gathering the group together as a whole.
She is a leading portraitist and one of the
Nigerian artists in the Diaspora who are making strong impact across the world.
has exhibited widely and her works are represented in public and private
collections in America, France, Grenada, Holland, Kenya, Malaysia, Mozambique,
Nigeria, South Africa, Spain, Swaziland, U.A.E. and the U.K.
Chukwuogo-Roy
has made name in painting portraits of leaders across the world, the list of
which include portrait of Her Majesty, The Queen of England and Head of The
Commonwealth.
Some of the high profile portrait commissions in her credit include that of President Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, President of Norwich City Football Club, Mr Geoffrey Watling; Chief Emeka Anyaoku, Secretary-General of The Commonwealth; Lord Mayor of Norwich, Cllr Derek Wood; Kriss Akabusi, athlete and TV personality, for whom she also undertook a series of large paintings on the theme of the African Diaspora. She was also commissioned by Martin Keown to paint Arsenal’s Highbury Stadium. Chukwuogo-Roy 's portraits vary widely. These range from formal boardroom and academic portraits, to private commission such as family. She uses a range of media, but prefers to paint in oils on canvas or drawing in pastels on coloured paper. A recent biography of the painter, published by Tamarind, is now part of the National Curriculum by children in the UK.
Some of the high profile portrait commissions in her credit include that of President Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, President of Norwich City Football Club, Mr Geoffrey Watling; Chief Emeka Anyaoku, Secretary-General of The Commonwealth; Lord Mayor of Norwich, Cllr Derek Wood; Kriss Akabusi, athlete and TV personality, for whom she also undertook a series of large paintings on the theme of the African Diaspora. She was also commissioned by Martin Keown to paint Arsenal’s Highbury Stadium. Chukwuogo-Roy 's portraits vary widely. These range from formal boardroom and academic portraits, to private commission such as family. She uses a range of media, but prefers to paint in oils on canvas or drawing in pastels on coloured paper. A recent biography of the painter, published by Tamarind, is now part of the National Curriculum by children in the UK.
In 2003, Chinwe addressed the European
Council Committee in Paris on Contemporary African Art and Artists. Later that
year, she was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Letters by the University of
East Anglia.
Chukwuogo-Roy was born in Awka, Anambra State, Nigeria and
moved to the UK in 1975. She took up painting as a profession in 1988 and is
now based in Suffolk. Much of her work is in oils, etchings, monotypes and
pastels. Her subjects range from portraiture, still life and landscape, to
pictures, which capture the traditions and cultures of the African continent.
Her recent work culminated in two exceptionally successful events in the last 2
years: the Celebrate art exhibition specially organised in December 2003
for the Queen's visit for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGOM)
in Abuja for which she painted a portrait of Chief Obasanjo. Along over 60
pieces of her works, Chinwe displayed the works of six other Nigerian artists.
She also started a major educational programme to encourage art in Nigerian
schools.
In September 2003, the artist was awarded an Honorary Doctorate
of Letters by the University of East Anglia.
few of her exhibition
include a major solo exhibition at Didi Museum, 2000 Lagos; solo exhibition at
Trinity College, Cambridge University, Cambridge 2004; Seeing in
Colours, a major exhibition of new works at The Gallery in Cork Street, London,
UK,
2005.
In 1975, she left Nigeria to study in the UK
and in 1988 began professional career as a painter.
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One of the truly great and most innovative artists of the past 50 years. Sadly, it is perhaps only now that the full extent of her talent is appreciated. She was a great credit to both Nigeria and Britain, to people of Colour and to Women. I am honoured to have known her.
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