Stations of the Cross

Bruce[i] Onobrakpeya (b. 1936) is a celebrated Nigerian painter and printmaker.

Onobrakpeya pioneered bronzed lino relief and metal foil deep etching in bold patterns and colors to explore Nigerian folklore and contemporary life.

The following linocut prints of the Stations of the Cross were created in 1969 by Onobrakpeya, commissioned by a Catholic priest. These prints were photographed by me on a recent visit to the Smithsonian Museum of African Art. They are not the complete series.

Onobrakpeya tells a distinctly African story as he depicts the crucifixion. The executioners are British colonial officers - reflecting the mixed legacy of British colonialism in Nigeria.

Jesus and the Jews depicted are African, dressed in traditional African attire, the women in headscarves.

Instead of having to understand the white and colonial tellings and depictions of the crucifixion, Onobrakpeya helps his people witness the event in their own context and identify with Christ as he suffers under unjust oppression.

[i] Bruce is, of course, not a Nigerian name. Most likely his mother/parents knew a European who had a positive impact on their lives and so they named their son after him. This is – or was - a fairly common experience in Africa. There is a Norman running around in Nigeria right now.