Ebenezer Akinola (Nigerian, born 1968) Portrait of a Young Girl signed and dated 'EBENEZER/ AKINOLA/ 11' (lower right); bears a Sachs Gallery label (verso) oil on canvas 50 x 40cm (19 11/16 x 15 3/4in). Footnotes: A graduate of the University of Benin and recipient of the Fasuyi Art Prize for painting, Ebenezer Akinola has established himself as one of Nigeria's accomplished contemporary portrait and figurative painters. His portraits combine close observation with a sensitive treatment of character, using expression, posture and dress to convey a presence that extends beyond physical likeness. The human figure has remained central to Akinola's practice throughout his career. His command of portraiture has also led to significant public commissions, including portraits of former Nigerian leaders Nnamdi Azikiwe, Abdulsalami Abubakar and Olusegun Obasanjo for the National Gallery of Art, Nigeria. Alongside these official works, his paintings frequently turn to more intimate subjects, particularly individual figures whose expressions and gestures become the focus of the composition. Akinola's work has been exhibited in Nigeria and internationally, including Life: Slices and Spices at the Didi Museum, Lagos (1996), Recent Paintings at Steelelife Gallery, Chicago (2003), Lasting Impressions at Signature Beyond Gallery, Lagos (2010), and Where Do We Go From Here? at Omenka Gallery, Lagos (2017). For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com For further information about this lot please visit the lot listing