There’s something truly irresistible about an oversized, hardcover book crammed with stunning photos and given pride of place in a living room. In this day and age, when we can access so much content digitally, the draw of coffee table books seems as great as ever.
Coffee table books are an amazing way to add an element of interest to your home, spark conversation, and act as a source of inspiration. That’s why we’ve rounded up some of the best coffee table books that celebrate Nigeria, for those looking to appreciate Nigeria through the lens of art, literature, and history.
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ART OF NIGERIA BY PETER DE JEU
This book is an exclusive overview of the art and creativity of 511 Nigerian Tribes. Showcasing tested bronze and ivory objects that date back from 100 to sometimes 2500 years old. It details unique art from tribes that have never been published. From the great known and unknown carvers, beautiful bronzes, impressive ivories, terrific terracottas, and astonishing wooden sculptures. The book itself took 8 years to produce and 50 years to gather the amazing pictures. A life’s work and reference for everyone with a passion for Nigerian tribal art.
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THINGS FALL APART BY CHINUA ACHEBE
Things Fall Apart is the first of three novels in Chinua Achebe’s critically acclaimed African Trilogy. It is a classic narrative about Africa’s cataclysmic encounter with Europe as it establishes a colonial presence on the continent. With more than 20 million copies sold and translated into fifty-seven languages, Things Fall Apart provides one of the most illuminating and permanent monuments to the African experience. Achebe does not only capture life in a pre-colonial African village, he conveys the tragedy of the loss of that world while broadening our understanding of our contemporary realities.
THE ART OF NIGERIAN WOMEN BY CHUKWUEMEKA BOSAH
The Art of Nigerian Women by Chukwuemeka Bosah is a celebration of Modern Nigerian Art. Bosah contextualises the diversity of artists in Nigeria and contributes significantly to our knowledge of Nigerian art through its laser focus on Nigerian women in art. She is able to analyze an assortment of media used by women in art and educate us on their creative process. The book is a pioneering work, that showcases the work of very talented Nigerian women around the world, it is full of paintings, photographs, drawings, sculptural, and mixed media pieces. It is complemented by scholarly essays written by Art Historians who are familiar with the work of these women and deserves a prominent place on shelves, homes, institutions, or personal libraries for the sheer amount of courage and resources plowed into this book.
OSHINOWO BY JESS CASTELLOTE AND AKINYEM ADETUNJI
Kolade Oshinowo, who was born in Ibadan in 1948, is one of Nigeria's most respected artists, his paintings celebrate life: the mundane and the neglected, the benighted and the celebrated. His theme, the one that he has devoted his life-long career to exploring and exploiting, is life. Oshinowo engages with a wide range of issues and some of his works are a response to social and political problems. The celebration of women is one of his main inspirations and his paintings of Nigerian women that incorporate strips of fabric are immediately recognisable. This book takes a deep dive into his work curated by Jess Castello and Akinyemi Adetunji.
All coffee table books are available to shop in-store
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