Sunday Jack Akpan

Sunday Jack Akpan (born in Nigeria on 1 August 1940) is a Nigerian sculptor who has been described as "the contemporary African equivalent of the medieval artisan". He is noted for his work in cement, in which he crafts traditional-style statues of tribal leaders and other figures, mainly as grave art, which he then paints. He has also created other types of commercial art, including religious figures and business signage. His work has been shown at the Venice Biennale and at the Centre Pompidou in Paris, among other venues. Sunday Jack Akpan was taught layering brick, by Mr. Albert Edet Essien. This experience helped guide him to progress in his cement skills in sculpting his naturalistic large-scale figures.

Career Akpan is a post-war contemporary artist who has concentrated on sculpture, using cement to create traditional figures and grave artworks. Most of his figures are of African tribal leaders and are large-scale sculptures, and reflect his interest in the history of African culture. His work has mainly featured in group exhibitions alongside works by artists including Frédéric Bruly Bouabré, Chéri Samba, and Bodys Isek Kingelez. In 2001, his work featured at "La Biennale di Venezia" in Venice, Italy.

Akpan's work was included in "Africa Remix", an exhibition which toured various locations including the Museum Kunstpalast in Düsseldorf (2004), Hayward Gallery in London (2005), Centre Pompidou in Paris (2005), Moderna Museet in Sweden (2006), the Mori Art Museum in Tokyo (2006) and Johannesburg Art Gallery (2007).

In 2023, Akpan's work was included in an exhibition "Incarnations, le corps dans la collection" (The Body in the Collection) at the Musée d'Art Contemporain in Lyon, France.

Some of his work is in the collection of the Horniman Museum in London.

No Title (1994) - a sculpture in painted cement of powerful and elegantly dressed African men facing forward, but also appearing to be seeking attention from passers-by. This artwork is in front of offices in Akebonocho, Tachikawa-shi, Japan.

Other artworks Bust of a Nigerian Chief (1986) - a depiction of a Nigerian chief or tribal leader, featuring a Nigerian man with a red shirt, dark-colored hair, and a slight smile on his face. Akpan. Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen, 1988. Akpan S. J A. O Akpan Musée des beaux-arts de Calais and Association française d’action artistique. 1985. Sculptures En Ciment Du Nigeria De S.j. Akpan Et a.o. Akpan : 26 Novembre—15 Décembre 1985. Paris: Association d’action artistique.