* Yusuf Grillo — African Modernism, Colour & Cultural Identity*

Yusuf Grillo’s contribution to Nigerian modernism has strongly influenced my approach to colour, form, and African identity. His stylised figures, elongated forms, rhythmic compositions, and distinctive use of colour demonstrated how African subjects and cultural experiences could be expressed through a modern visual language. His ability to balance abstraction with recognizable human forms has encouraged me to develop my own stylised figures, bold contours, patterned surfaces, and culturally rooted imagery. Through Grillo, I have learned to see African identity not merely as a subject, but as an essential visual language within contemporary art.

"abstract paintings especially his choice of skin colours."