Whenever we go back in history, we find women who lived their lives to inspire others. A woman with a unique career path at the time, meet Chief Lady Afi Ekong, the first Nigerian female artist.

On June 26, 1930, Chief Afi Ekong, as she was popularly known, was born into the royal family of Edidem Bassey Eyo Epharaim Adam III, the Obong of Calabar at the time. She attended primary school at Duke Town School and Christ Church School, both in Calabar. She married Abdul Azizi Attah who had many postings to London. Due to her frequency in London, she was able to study fashion design and painting there.

When she moved back to Nigeria, Ekong navigated elite circles and soon scored a deal to hold the first female solo art exhibition in Lagos in 1958. Chief Afi Ekong was a pioneer of modern Nigerian art. She joined the likes of Aina Onabolu, Bayo Ajiboye and Ben Enwonwu as first generation Nigerian artists during the colonial times. These artists were all trained in England at Saint Martin’s School of Fine Arts. Through her works and activism, she promoted nationalism through her African themes and ideas while also promoting arts councils in Nigeria.

She became the first owner of a private gallery in Nigeria, which she named Bronze Gallery. This gallery ran in different venues in Lagos.

After the establishment of her gallery, she continued to paint privately and involved herself in public charitable activities.

Before she died in 2009, Ekong had retired to her estate in Calabar and bagged five chieftaincy titles. She also opened the new Bronze Gallery in her Fiekong Estate.