Bàmigbòyé: A Master Sculptor Of The Yoruba Tradition

Exhibition at the Yale University Art Gallery, 9 September 2022 - 8 January 2023

One of the most important Yorùbá sculptors of the twentieth century, Moshood Olúṣọmọ Bámigbóyè (ca. 1885-1975) is best known for the spectacular masks he carved for the religious festivals known locally as Ẹpa. Weighing up to 80 pounds and measuring over a metre in height, with intricate superstructures that can include dozens of finely carved individual figures, these masks represent some of the most complex and elaborate works of Yorùbá art ever made.

This first monograph devoted to the Nigerian artist presents masterpieces from Bámigbóyè's workshop that are now in collections in America, Europe, and Nigeria. Essays situate Bámigbóyè's work within Africa's oldest and most dynamic artistic traditions and analyze his sculpture in relation to contemporary Yorùbá art, culture, politics, and religion, filling a critical gap in the field of African art history.