Nigerian Artwork Challenges British History at St Paul's

On February 17, 2022 Nigerian-born artist Victor Ehikhamenor unveiled a new artwork at St. Paul's Cathedral, London, to mark the 125th anniversary of British forces' notorious attack on the Kingdom of Benin and the subsequent unceremonious looting of the Benin Bronzes.

The artwork titled, Still Standing, is part of Ehikhamenor's series of multimedia 'Rosary Works', made with fabric, rosaries and coral beads to reflect the confluence of local and western influences that make the present-day Edo society, of the former Benin Kingdom what it is.

In the media framing around the work, however, it is claimed that the work does much more than the Cathedral or even the artist himself envisioned, writes IfeOluwa Nihinlola for African Arguments.

Ehikhamenor is known for combining painting, sculpture, photography, and other materials in works that use symbolism from both traditional Edo religion and Catholicism, reflecting on the confluence of African and western cultures.