Aluu Prosper
War and death of a father
oil and acrylic on canvas. 24” x 28.5.” 2022
Child King
oil and acrylic on canvas. 24” x 28.5.” 2022
Finding Unity in Sound
oil and acrylic on canvas. 24” x 28.5.” 2022
Divided Kingdom
oil and acrylic on canvas. 24” x 28.5.” 2022
Born and raised in Nigeria, West Africa, Prosper Aluu makes figurative and expressive paintings. His usually stylized figures show the use of the artistic devices of elongation and exaggeration, as well as his unique style of painting the iconic afro hairstyle. These are his ways of celebrating and negotiating African identity. Prosper grew up drawing comics and characters, which enabled him to understand the human figure and expressions properly, after which he became a full-time studio artist in 2017. In traditional African art visual codes, the exaggeration of the head in comparison to other parts of the body is a well-known visual strategy to establish the head as the seat of wisdom and intellectual prowess according to the beliefs in parts of Africa. Prosper plays with the size, forms, and presentation of the head of the figures in his paintings as a visual pun to challenge what he considers a one-sided narrative about the size of the head in traditional African art. His style of painting rich afro hairstyle and golden crowns on the heads of his figures are meant to ennoble and dignify the subjects in his work. Prosper studied at the Federal University of Technology Owerri, where he learned building technology with an architectural background in design. He also acquired expertise in graphic design, illustration, 3D modeling, video editing, and animation. Prosper's work does not aim to rehearse the negative stereotypes in African people's relationship with other races; instead, he strives to look beyond negative experiences by painting luscious images of the African people resplendent in beautiful apparel and striking pieces of diadem. These crowns represent the great potential of Africa, which he believes will one day unravel in the fullness of time. In 2018, he had his first official art exhibition where he won the Peace Poster award for his painting on peace at the ANBUKRAFT. He has participated in several exhibitions and competitions since then and has won some of them. In 2020, he was signed as a brand ambassador to TECNO mobile Nigeria on a one-year deal. His works have appeared in countries like South Africa, the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Japan, etc.