Hassan Aliyu

Artist, curator, commentator and cultural ambassador, Dr. Hassan Aliyu is a seminal contributor to both the Nigerian and British artworlds, President of the Nigeria Art Society UK and member of the Guild of Professional Fine Artists of Nigeria.

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Like many Nigerians of their generation, Hassan Aliyu’s parents came to the UK in the 1950’s to study in higher education and help rebuild Britain’s economy following World War II. When Nigeria gained its independence from British rule in 1960, many aimed to return home. In 1964, the birth of Aliyu and his twin sister in an unexpectedly hostile and racially charged environment marked the first part of an incredible journey, which saw the young family evicted from their accommodation, struggling to find a place to live. Given the hardships they faced, the twins were sent to live with their paternal grandmother in Auchi, Midwestern State, southern Nigeria, in what was hoped would be more stable circumstances, only to be caught up in the catastrophic Nigerian Civil War of 1967-70 which caused massive destruction, death and displacement. Living in the shadow of conflict and poverty, Aliyu recalls his earliest memories of how “I would draw in the sand and then watch it blow away and draw it all again”. 

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In 1970, the children were re-united with their mother 500km away in Zaria State, northern Nigeria, when she found employment at Ahmadu Bello University. The family was forced to move again when the temporary contract ended, and she found work in Kaduna Polytechnic. Aliyu completed his secondary education in Jos, some 200 miles away, when a place became available for him and his sister at a prestigious government-run boarding school. Excelling academically, as well as artistically and winning numerous prizes, Aliyu knew from a young age that “my calling in life was to be an artist”.

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In spite of his father’s expectations that he would study political science or law, Aliyu went on to study Fine Art at Ahmadu Bello University, receiving the Nigeria Art Council award for Best Final Year student in 1986. Moving to Lagos shortly afterwards, he started life as a professional artist against the backdrop of the 1986 Structural Adjustment Program, which resulted in a drastic devaluation of the Naira currency, a severe economic downturn and inflation. As art supplies became prohibitively expensive or disappeared altogether, many artists were forced to seek alternative mediums and methods. The practice of appropriation, re-use and collaged re-interpretation became central to Aliyu’s practice then and for decades to come.

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If “necessity is the mother of all invention”, Aliyu demonstrated a remarkable entrepreneurial flair, not only for creating, but also exhibiting and sharing his art and ideas. At a time when there were very few professional or commercial galleries in Nigeria, artists had to create their own opportunities through collaborations and partnerships – an approach which Aliyu champions to this day. “The artist had to be his own agent and dealer… we took art to where art did not previously exist. We built the art scene from nothing”. Smaller new business enterprises and private collectors alongside international institutions created an environment of experimentation where resourcefulness was valued and Aliyu’s contributions were recognised by both private patrons, collectors and through critical exhibitions. 

In 1990, Aliyu was invited to exhibit his work in the UK and left Nigeria “not with the intention of emigrating”. However, political turmoil, economic uncertainty and a rise in violence at home meant Aliyu stayed in spite of keeping his substantial studio in Lagos for a further five years. Forced to effectively start his career from scratch, he recalls being completely unprepared for the overt racism, nepotism and cultural segregation which characterised the London art scene at the time. Over the next three decades, through individual artworks as well as entire exhibitions, Aliyu challenged, confronted and critiqued the status quo as his works became increasingly political and outspoken. Calling out both historic and contemporary injustice, unacceptable forms of discrimination, racism and inequality, his doctoral thesis ‘Enslaved by Debt: An Artistic Exploration of Africa’s Colonial Legacy’ re-examined Africa's trajectory through the lens of art and enduring legacies of slavery, colonialism, and capitalist exploitation. 

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Advocating the critical importance of literature for the visual arts, Aliyu explains that “Young artists should read and read and once again read, so they can practice with vision”. Artworks commissioned for book covers of critical texts in the seminal Heinemann African Writers Series demonstrates his commitment to the promotion of African literature while his designs for a range of record albums including for Kameleon Records demonstrates his passion for music and performance that is so visible in his art – an interdisciplinary and inclusive perspective – yet one which does not shy away from challenging conversations and difficult discourses – entirely fitting for a multi-cultural city, a world class university, and the inclusive and diverse setting of Wolfson College and Cambridge Artspace 5-7 for the current exhibition. 

  Dr. Anna M. Dempster, Wolfson College, University of Cambridge

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Read more about Hassan Aliyu's Exhibition, Epic Journeys @ Cambridge ArtSpace5-7 here.

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Read more about the exhibition at Wolfson College, University of Cambridge here.