Fibre Art, Postmodernism, and the Renegotiation of Craft Hierarchies in Contemporary Nigerian Art

The postmodern destabilisation of the high art/low art hierarchy has created theoretical conditions in which fibre-based art forms can claim equal status with painting and sculpture, yet the practical renegotiation of these hierarchies within Nigerian art institutions has been slow and contested. This study develops an original theoretical analysis of fibre art's positioning within contemporary Nigerian art's institutional and critical frameworks, examining how fibre art practitioners are navigating the persistent hierarchical structures that marginalise textile-based and craft-derived practices. The theoretical contribution is a model of craft hierarchy renegotiation in postcolonial art worlds that identifies the specific mechanisms through which fibre art practitioners seek critical legitimation while the institutions that confer legitimacy continue to operate through painting-centred evaluation criteria. The empirical component combines in-depth interviews with 20 Nigerian fibre artists, 10 gallery curators, 8 art educators, and 5 collectors who have acquired fibre works with visual and contextual analysis of 50 significant Nigerian fibre art works produced between 2015 and 2024. The study examines how fibre artists strategically position their work within contemporary art discourse, what critical and institutional victories have been achieved, and what structural barriers remain. The geographic analysis tracks fibre art activity across universities in the South West, South South, and North West zones. The theoretical framework draws on postmodern aesthetics, craft theory, feminist art theory, and the sociology of art institutions. Findings contribute to craft theory, art sociology, and the critical literature on Nigerian contemporary art. Keywords: fibre art, craft hierarchy, postmodernism, Nigerian contemporary art, textile art