Multitalented Nigerian architect, sculptor, and designer Demas Nwoko is named the recipient of the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement by the Venice Biennale in recognition of what curator Lesley Lokko described as the “polyglot nature of his talents and oeuvres and to the rather narrow interpretation of the word ‘architect’ that has arguably kept his name out of the annals.”

Nwoko's work was also commended by Lokko for his polymath abilities and commitment to sustainability, adding: “Although relatively few, Nwoko’s buildings in Nigeria fulfill two critical roles. They are forerunners of the sustainable, resource-mindful, and culturally authentic forms of expression now sweeping across the African continent — and the globe — and they point towards the future, no mean achievement for someone whose work is still largely unknown, even at home.”

Nwoko was born in the rural town of Idumuje-Ugboko and was educated at the Nigerian College of Arts, Science, and Technology. One of the original ‘Zaria Rebels’ founders, Nwoko, met fellow members Bruce Onobrakpeya, Uche Okeke and Simon Okeke, and Yusuf Grillo to form the influential group, the Zaria Art Society. According to Lokko, the group was “interested in a blend of modernity and African aesthetics as an authentic language to reflect the spirit of political independence growing in the 1940s and 1950s.”

Since then, Nwoko has grown into an important national figure, authoring the designs for such buildings as the Dominican Institute in Ibadan while simultaneously founding several arts groups and making significant contributions to theater design while pursuing a distinctive aesthetic inspired by the local culture.

In a press statement, Lokko added finally: “One of the central themes of the 18th International Architecture Exhibition is an approach to architecture as an ‘expanded’ field of endeavors, encompassing both the material and immaterial worlds; a space in which ideas are as important as artifacts, particularly in the service of what is yet to come. With all of its emphasis on the future, however, it seems entirely fitting that the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement should be awarded to someone whose material works span the past 70 years but whose immaterial legacy — approach, ideas, ethos — is still in the process of being evaluated, understood and celebrated.”

Nwoko will be presented with the award as part of the inauguration of the Biennale's 18th edition on May 20th.