Demas Nwoko

Nwoko was born in 1935 in Idumuje Ugboko, a town that now has as its Obi (King) Nwoko's brother. Nwoko grew up in Idumuje Ugboko appreciating the newly constructed architectural edifices in the town and in the palace of the Obi, his father. He went to study fine arts at the Zaria College of Arts, Science and Technology in 1956, a year after the college was moved from its original location in Ibadan to Zaria. In 1962, he received a scholarship from the Congress of Cultural Freedom to study at the Centre Français du Théâtre in Paris where he learned scenic design.

Demas Nwoko is a Nigerian artist, designer and architect. As an artist, he strives to incorporate modern techniques in architecture and stage design to enunciate the African subject matters in most of his works . He was a member of the Mbari club of Ibadan, a committee of burgeoning Nigerian and foreign artists. He was also a lecturer at the University of Ibadan. He was the publisher of the New Culture magazine.

Demas Nwoko is a respected Nigerian artist, architect and master builder in Nigeria. Nwoko’s works fuse modern techniques in architecture and stage design with African tradition. With works like The Dominican Institute, Ibadan and The Akenzua Cultural Center, Benin to his credit, Demas Nwoko is one ‘artist-architect’ who believes in celebrating the African tradition in his works.

In 2007, Farafina published The Architecture of Demas Nwoko, a study of Nwoko’s work and theories written by two British Architects, John Godwin OBE and Gillian Hopwood. He led the way toward a modern mode of expression in African art, theater, painting, and architecture. In addition, he is a fine actor and dancer, having performed in numerous plays in Ibadan. Nwoko, sees design as an ingenuous activity that carries with it a focus on social responsibility for positive influences in the environment and culture of the society.