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Emmanuel Eni

Biography

Emmanuel Eni AKA Blackman in European Kitchen (born 1967), is a Nigerian-born German artist and poet. He is known as a painter, sculptor, multimedia artist, and performance artist. He is also known as “Blackman in European Kitchen”. Eni is asserted to be one of the outstanding contemporary artists in Africa and the western world. Emmanuel Eni was born in 1967 in Igbanke, Nigeria. He studied art at Igbobi College in Lagos; the Polytechnic University of Auchi; and at the University of Benin. Internationally, Eni exhibited at the Biennale d’art contemporain de Lyon, the Biennale in Dakar (Dak’Art) and parallel at the documenta 12 in Kassel. He also works as a lecturer in private and public institutions. He is the inventor and patent holder of New LightPaintings Art, the philosopher of the thesis of “contemporary barock art” – the union of all aspects of art. He is writer and performer of “Blackman in European Kitchen” and is also known as the “sculptor of elephants”, and the Father of 100 Elephants. Eni creates sculptures in bronze and terracotta. In recent times it has focused on the use of recycled and commonly used materials. A famous work was “Elephant”. For the artist, the elephant represents the mother of all animals and the largest land mammal. Eni claims that without elephants, nature will no longer exist. The sculpture monument received a lot of public attention because of its shape, great size and weight of 20 tons and its color. The sculpture was made of re-enforced concrete. The elephant of the colour of earth tones, like just emerged from a mud bath. After the exhibition, the 20-ton sculpture was to be handed over to a sculpture park that was yet to be established. Since this was not created and no other use could be found, Eni destroyed the monument in front of live performance of 3000 people. As an ecological statement on the dangers and threat of extinction of the animal nature. The performance intervention he titled “Junking of the Elephant” took place on September 23, 2006.

News / Ranking / Titbits / Awards

Exhibitions: “Hope of Love” paintings and sculptures Germany, “THE BOOM” exhibition of new light painting art and sculptures; “Brightness of the picture” – sculptures and paintings, Schwarzenbach an der Saale, Bavaria, Germany; “Haske Zanen” – sculptures, paintings and performance with new light, painting, art; Thought pyramid Gallery Abuja / German Embassy Abuja Nigeria; “Art Merchant“ – sculptures and paintings, National museum Lagos, Nigeria; Diverse lecture activities in sculpture, installation, audiovisual performance and literature; “Leaf spirit totem” – 7 m high sculpture for Syke, Bremen Germany (Wood, Terra Kota, Mirror glass, 2011); “Blackman in European Kitchen”, ICD Institute for cultural diplomacy, Berlin, Germany; “Ear as a long road” – poetic performance, Berlin, Poetry Festival Lyricline; “Consciences and frontiers” installation “Israel and Palestine” and “Knowledge is power” – SAVVY Contemporary, Berlin, Germany

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