After Abayomi Barber (Nigerian, 1928-2021) The Pen is Mightier than the Sword (three sculptures) bronze casts on wooden bases 80 x 70 x 32cm. (each) 93 x 70 x 36cm. (including base) Footnotes: Bibliography Igwezi, D., 'Abayomi, the life and sketches of Abayomi Barber', a study of this subject can be found on page 36. Born in Ilé-Ifè in 1928, Abayomi Barber trained as a sculptor in Lagos before moving to London in 1960. He studied at the Central School of Arts and Crafts and developed expertise in mould-making and bronze casting. During his years in Britain, he worked in the studio of sculptor Oscar Nemon, assisting him on several portraits of Winston Churchill. Returning to Nigeria in 1971, Barber joined the University of Lagos and subsequently established the influential Abayomi Barber School, mentoring a generation of Nigerian artists. Rejecting reductive notions of what African art should look like, he championed technical mastery, individual imagination and artistic freedom. His legacy lies as much in his distinctive body of work as in the school of artists that developed around his teaching. For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com For further information about this lot please visit the lot listing