YUSUF ADEBAYO CAMERON GRILLO (NIGERIAN, BORN 1934) The vill
Provenance : Provenance Acquired from the artist by Lady Dorothy Louise, Viscountess Head (1907-1997). By direct descent to the current owner. Founded in the early 16th century, the city of Zaria in Kaduna state, north-central Nigeria, was named after Queen Zaria of the Hausa state of Zazzau. The original walled town still stands today, inhabited by a majority Hausa and Fulani population. The bustling markets uphold the area’s reputation as a focal point for trade. Historically, the city’s chief export was cotton; weaving and dyeing being the traditional crafts of its Hausa and Gbari inhabitants. In recent years, furniture manufacture, cloth-printing and basket making have also become associated with the region. Zaria has long been considered Northern Nigeria’s centre for learning. Ahmadu Bello University was established at Samaru in 1962. It is also home to Katsina College of Arts, Science and Technology. The Nigerian College of Arts, Science and Technology gave birth to the Zaria Art Society in 1958. As the nation approached independence, a group of young artists were determined to free Nigeria’s art scene from the overbearing influence of the West. They wished to establish a new national style, based on the theory of Natural Synthesis, whereby traditional Nigerian art forms were fused with the principles of European modernism. Yusuf Grillo was a founding member of the Zaria Art Society, and most likely painted this view of Samaru whilst studying at the College. Bibliography J.Buhari, ‘Structure, Serenity and Illumination in the Works of Yusuf Grillo’, in P. Dike & P. Oyelola, ed. Master of Masters, Yusuf Grillo: His Life and Works, (2006) p.107.
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