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Dilomprizulike

Dilomprizulike b 1960, Nigeria

Born Dil Humphrey-Umezulike but widely known in the contemporary art world just as Dilomprizulike, he has been labelled 'The Junkman of Africa'. First noticed at the 7th African Art Biennale in Dakar in 2006, his work has become internationally appreciated.

He currently works and lives between two worlds, Germany and Nigeria.

Having exhibited at Africa Remix at the Hayward and been in residence at the V&A Museum in London and in Scotland, Detroit and Germany, he has shown he has much to offer in terms of translating his discombobulated world to something of substance.

'The face of the city', wood and salvaged items

Working primarily in the sculpting and remodelling of found objects, he also paints and produces performance art. Scouring the rubbish heaps for objects, he re-invents them into tableaux which together tell a whole story but individually, each sculpture tells its own.

His installations can include multi figures and prop items and he likes to place them in context like on the side of a road. They exist on their own.. there is no sentiment round them for the artist but maybe for the viewer?

'City Girl' 2

'City Girl' 2010

He sees that Nigerians are struggling to find a new status that exists between post-slavery and post-colonialism and the modern city man who has no sense of place other than the immediate. His work is about transformation and revitalization, symbolically and literally.

He is concerned with the explosive growth of consumerism, the decline of moral values, the loss of knowledge and respect for heritage and history.

For fascinating insight into more about this important contemporary African art figure read here