By Osa Mbonu-Amadi, Arts Editor

The Cartoonists Association of Nigeria, CARTAN, will host a special exhibition of cartoons, drawings, and paintings to celebrate the 80th birthday of the renowned academic, painter, art historian, and art critic, Prof. dele jegede (who deliberately and rebelliously breaks the rules of grammar by writing every word, including his name, in lower cases). The exhibition will be held at the Didi Museum, Lagos, from June 21 to 28, 2025.

Prof. jegede turned 80 on April 19, 2025, and celebrations continue throughout the year.

The exhibition will feature a curated collection of artworks from some of Nigeria’s most talented cartoonists, paying tribute to Prof. jegede’s remarkable global contributions to art.

Special guests expected to attend the exhibition include Bruce Onobrakpeya, Dr. Kolade Oshinowo, and Dr. Kunle Filani.

Born in Ikere-Ekiti, Nigeria, in 1945, Prof. dele jegede has over four decades of experience as a painter, cartoonist, curator, art critic, art administrator, and teacher.

In 1973, he earned a first-class honors degree in Fine Arts from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria. Prof. Jegede completed his MA and PhD in Art History at Indiana University, Bloomington, with a dissertation on contemporary Nigerian art in 1983.

He began his career as a cartoonist and art editor at Nigeria’s Daily Times (1974-1977), where he used cartoons to critique social and political issues. Later, he served as Director of the Center for Cultural Studies at the University of Lagos before moving to the US in 1993.

Prof. jegede taught at Indiana State University and later at Miami University, Ohio, retiring as Professor Emeritus in 2015. A Fulbright Scholar and Senior Post-Doctoral Fellow at the Smithsonian Institution, he is known for politically charged paintings and cartoons addressing corruption, poverty, and dictatorship in Nigeria.

As president of the Society of Nigerian Artists (1989-1992), he secured its legal charter and promoted Nigerian art nationally and internationally. A recipient of the Distinguished Africanist Award from the University of Texas, Prof. jegede remains active as a full-time artist and scholar, significantly influencing Nigerian art and cartooning.

He is recognised as a leading figure who has shaped contemporary Nigerian art, both locally and abroad, through his creative and scholarly work.