Bamigboye

The first publication on the Yorb master sculptor Moshood Olm Bmigby Bmigby: A Master Sculptor of the Yorb Tradition is the first monograph dedicated to the 50-year career of the Nigerian artist Moshood Olm Bmigby (ca. 18851975). One of the most important Yorb sculptors of the twentieth century, Bmigby is best known for the spectacular masks that he carved for religious festivals known locally as pa. Weighing up to 80 pounds and measuring over 4 feet tall, with intricate superstructures that could feature dozens of finely carved individual figures, these masks represent some of the most complex and elaborate works of Yorb art ever made. With 190 illustrations, this sumptuous volume presents masterpieces from Bmigbys workshop now housed in collections in America, Europe, and Nigeria. Essays situate Bmigbys work as part of Africas oldest and most dynamic art traditions and consider his sculpture in relation to contemporary Yorb art, culture, politics, and religion. With new and archival photographs and incorporating oral histories conducted with the artists family and community, this catalogue fills a critical void in African art-historical scholarship. Distributed for the Yale University Art Gallery Exhibition Schedule: Yale University Art Gallery (September 9, 2022January 8, 2023)