Integrity Journal of Arts and Humanities

Several Nigerian artists have interrogated the societal ills and challenges occasioned by the crude oil exploration activities of the multinational oil companies in Nigeria. They have used different media to express their creative sensibilities in visual forms. Sokari Douglas Camp, who is one of such artist has delved into the use of steel metal as her major working material. The use and working of metal by women are traditionally classified as taboo in most African cultures including Nigeria. This paper focuses on the contributions of Sokari Douglas Camp in the usage of steel in the global artistic scene. The essence of the paper is to highlight her impact on the visual arts and to elucidate the way she has broken through barriers using her unique creative prowess to synthesize her African traditional art forms with modern techniques and materials to create visual imageries. It is one thing to acknowledge the fact that she is a woman worthy of study and it is quite another to note her consistency in steel: the male-dominated area of sculpture. Thus, further studies on this enigmatic creative artist cannot be overemphasized. The paper employed the triangulation of art historical research methods of formalism, feminism and iconography in articulating this study with data drawn from both primary and secondary sources. The research concludes that Sokari Douglas Camp’s consistency in the use of steel as a medium, her themes and issues addressed are of great relevance in the contemporary era to draw national and international attention to the plight of the Niger Delta region of Nigeria.