Lot 111: VERONICA OTIGBO-EKPEI (NIGERIAN, BORN 1966) ‘Save the Tree’

VERONICA OTIGBO-EKPEI (NIGERIAN, BORN 1966) ‘Save the Tree’ signed and dated ‘VERO EKPEI / 13’ (lower right) acrylic and wood 93.5 x 15 x 21.5cm (36 13/16 x 5 7/8 x 8 7/16in) (including base). Veronica Otigbo-Ekpei gained her degree in Creative Arts and Sculpture from the University of Lagos. Her sculptures explore the creative potential of recycled materials. The wood for this artwork was salvaged from a forest near her studio that had been devastated by fire. Painted in bold colours, the dead matter is imbued with new life and energy. The work is a reminder of the importance of conservation and the challenges posed by deforestation and bush burning in Nigeria. Bibliography V.Otigbo-Ekpei, Echoes from the Wood, (Rangefinder Nig Ltd, 2013), p.16.