By Jimoh Babatunde
In an era where contemporary African art is rapidly expanding its global footprint, Nigerian sculptor Abinoro Akporode Collins continues to carve a formidable presence through innovation, sustainability, and cultural storytelling. His recent participation in a landmark commission symposium in Ankara, Turkey, has further positioned him as one of Nigeria’s most compelling voices in metal sculpture.

The symposium, organized under the Valuable Scrap Project by world-renowned curator Beste Gürsu and sponsored by defense technology giant ASELSAN in celebration of its 50th anniversary, brought together ten international scrap artists for a month-long residency in Ankara. Each artist was tasked with interpreting Turkish national symbols through repurposed materials.

Collins’ response was monumental.

Titled The Legend of the Bozkurt, his sculpture reimagined the ancient Turkic symbol of the Grey Wolf using over 3,000 pieces of stainless steel cutlery. Mounted on a geometric metal structure symbolizing a mountain, the wolf stands in a triumphant posture embodying resilience, leadership, and ancestral pride.

The work was not merely sculptural; it was symbolic diplomacy. Through stainless steel a material he has mastered over a decade Collins transformed everyday cutlery into a cultural monument. The reflective surfaces of spoons, forks, and knives merged to create musculature and motion, echoing the tension between fragility and strength that defines much of his artistic philosophy.

Born in 1984 and trained at Auchi Polytechnic, Collins has spent years refining armature-free sculpting techniques, creating life-sized works that explore racial identity, cultural garments, and marine life. But Ankara marked a turning point it was a global validation of a distinctly Nigerian sculptural language.

From Lagos to Turkey, Collins is demonstrating that African artists are not just participating in global conversations they are shaping them.