African Abstract Art and Identity Politics: Works by Young Artists in Enugu

Abstract art in Africa has historically been entangled with questions of identity, cultural authenticity, and the politics of form, as debates about what constitutes an authentically African visual language have shadowed the practice of abstraction since the postcolonial era. This study examines the relationship between abstract art practice and identity politics in the work of young visual artists in Enugu State, located in Nigeria's South East geopolitical zone. A qualitative research design is employed, combining studio visits and in-depth interviews with 20 abstract artists based in Enugu with critical analysis of selected artworks using art historical and postcolonial critical methods. The study examines the aesthetic strategies employed by artists in constructing abstract visual vocabularies, the sources of inspiration drawn upon including Igbo visual traditions, urban experience, and global contemporary art trends, and the critical reception of their work within local and national exhibition contexts. The theoretical framework draws on postcolonial art theory, the philosophy of abstraction, and the African modernity literature. A key research question concerns whether young Enugu abstract artists feel the need to justify or explain their abstraction in relation to African cultural identity demands, or whether they work from a position that treats abstraction as a universal artistic option. Recent literature has debated the continuing relevance of the cultural authenticity problematic for a new generation of African artists. Findings are intended for art critics, gallery curators, fine arts educators, and researchers in African contemporary art. Keywords: abstract art, identity politics, Enugu, young artists, postcolonial aesthetics