Njideka Akunyili Crosby, one of the daughters of the late Dora Akinyuli is the 2015 winner of the tenth annual
Joyce Alexander Wein Artist Prize.
Joyce Alexander Wein Artist Prize.
The Studio Museum in Harlem made the
announcement on Monday, October 26, revealing that it was bestowing its
Wein Prize – a $50,000 award
won in the past by esteemed artists like Lorna Simpson, Glenn Ligon and
Trenton Doyle Hancock – to the Nigerian-born
painter who has lived and worked in the United States for many years.
announcement on Monday, October 26, revealing that it was bestowing its
Wein Prize – a $50,000 award
won in the past by esteemed artists like Lorna Simpson, Glenn Ligon and
Trenton Doyle Hancock – to the Nigerian-born
painter who has lived and worked in the United States for many years.
According to Randy Kennedy in the New York Times, the prize –
established by George Wein, a founder of the Newport Jazz Festival, in
honor of his wife, Joyce Alexander Wein, a trustee of the museum who
died in 2005 – has been given every year since 2006 to established or
emerging African-American artists.
established by George Wein, a founder of the Newport Jazz Festival, in
honor of his wife, Joyce Alexander Wein, a trustee of the museum who
died in 2005 – has been given every year since 2006 to established or
emerging African-American artists.
Ms. Crosby, 32, who
recently moved to Los Angeles, has become known for large-scale
paintings that depict African and American domestic scenes. The scenes
are visually complicated with collage elements drawn from Nigerian
lifestyle magazines, her own photo albums and the Internet, works that,
as Smithsonian Magazine wrote,
recently moved to Los Angeles, has become known for large-scale
paintings that depict African and American domestic scenes. The scenes
are visually complicated with collage elements drawn from Nigerian
lifestyle magazines, her own photo albums and the Internet, works that,
as Smithsonian Magazine wrote,