Title: Metaphor in plastic arts: example of portrait sculpture in Nigerian art schools

Authors: Francis Ebunola Allan Oladugbagbe

Addresses: Department of Fine and Applied Arts, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, P.M.B. 4000, Ogbomoso, Oyo State, Nigeria

Abstract: The scope of sculpture is scholastically wide in theory and practice. In Nigeria, fine and applied arts or creative arts departments in tertiary institutions teach sculpture, the practice of which is executed in relief and in the round. They could be Marquette or life-sized. These circumstances are often determined by a combination of factors; namely, curriculum, art lecturer, student and, most importantly, space. A concise inventory of portrait sculptures is neither existing in any form nor given adequate scholarship attention in the past four-and-half decades in Nigerian higher art institutions. The dearth of literatures in this direction needs to be gradually reversed because of the deep socio-cultural significance of the sculpture. This paper, therefore, analyses the form, style, theme, and medium of plastic arts, and positions the images as a source of future academic outlet for portrait sculpture survey in Nigeria. It adopts both primary and secondary methods. Accordingly, direct field research method is employed for the sample examination. It is observed that placing of portrait sculptures on the garden floor in UNN tends to inspire inadvertent socio-cultural and political interpretations for which scholastic trajectory can place emphasis on institutionalised stylistic posture of image-on-the-ground symbolism of art.

Keywords: metaphor; plastic arts; portrait sculpture; Nigerian art schools.

DOI: 10.1504/IJART.2021.121057

International Journal of Arts and Technology, 2021 Vol.13 No.4, pp.336 - 354

Received: 01 Apr 2021
Accepted: 10 Oct 2021
Published online: 23 Feb 2022 *

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