By Ncheta Ndigbo

Regarded as the father of Nigerian modernism, Prof. Uchefuna Christopher Okeke developed the unique style that became characteristic of what is now known as the Nsukka Art School, housed within the Department of Fine and Applied Arts, University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN).

Born into a creatively gifted family on April 30 1933, his father, Mr. Isaac Okeke, was skilled in carpentry and a keen collector. His mother, Mrs. Monica Mgboye Okeke (née Okoye), was an influential community figure, a businesswoman, dressmaker, herbalist, midwife, and Uli designer. This environment deeply shaped Uche and his siblings — most notably Lady Flora Onyiuke, who became a successful fashion entrepreneur catering to the Eastern elite.

Between 1940 and 1953, Uche Okeke pursued his education at St. Peter Claver’s Primary School, Kafanchan; Metropolitan College, Onitsha; and Bishop Shanahan College, Orlu. His passion for art was evident early, with exhibitions in Jos and Kaduna even before enrolling at the Nigerian College of Arts, Science and Technology (now Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria).

In 1958, Okeke co-founded the Zaria Art Society, a revolutionary group that resisted the Eurocentric teachings dominant in Nigerian art education at the time. Alongside artists like Yusuf Grillo, Bruce Onobrakpeya, Oseloka Osadebe, and Demas Nwoko, he advocated for “natural synthesis”—the fusion of indigenous forms with modern expression.

This philosophy laid the foundation for the Nsukka Art School, which Uche Okeke co-established at the University of Nigeria in the 1970s. With colleagues like Chike Aniakor and Obiora Udechukwu, he pioneered an artistic language rooted in traditional Uli drawing—an ancient Igbo artform used to adorn the human body and sacred spaces. Traditionally created by women, Uli is characterised by its flowing lines, symbolisms, and expressive abstraction.

Uche Okeke reimagined Uli as a modern artistic idiom, using it to reflect the lyrical and philosophical dimensions of Igbo folklore. Through this work, he elevated African indigenous aesthetics in both practice and pedagogy.

As a scholar and educator, he served as lecturer and acting head of the Department of Fine Arts at UNN (1971–1985), where he transformed the curriculum to have more focus on African indigenous art and design which he believed would benefit the development of modern and contemporary African Art, redesigned the art curriculum at IMT Enugu, and initiated postgraduate programs in art. He later directed the Institute of African Studies at UNN and held various academic and advisory positions across Nigeria and abroad.

He founded the Asele Institute—a cultural research center and archive preserving Nigeria’s artistic heritage.

Prof. Uche Okeke passed away on January 5, 2016, at the age of 82, in Nimo. But his legacy lives on—in the generations of artists he mentored, the institutions he built, and the cultural revival he led.

Uche Okeke’s life embodied creativity, cultural pride, and visionary leadership. Today, we celebrate his timeless contributions to the cultural landscape of Nigeria and the world.