Bob Usoroh

Architect,Artist,Pedagogue,
Born in Lagos – the former capital of Nigeria. Bob’s father worked as a cook for an Italian specialist, learning from him Italian cooking and mannerisms. Bob’s native village is called Ikot Ekong, meaning the family of warriors, on the south eastern delta region of Nigeria. Spending his childhood shuttling between the village and the slums of the then capital city- Lagos. One such trip in 1966 to the village, sealed Bob and his family for almost three years from his father in the capital, when the Nigerian civil war broke out in 1967. Memories of village women returning from the farm, a constant sight as the African sun sets, was to later become a powerful source of inspiration and motifs for Bob’s creative Arts. His father’s being a photographer heightened his level of anthropomorphic appreciation; this would later give him an edge over other architecture students during renderings with human figures. His studies at the secondary school saw Bob presiding over an Arts club in a college that had no Fine Arts in its curriculum. On completing the ordinary Diploma, and working in 1985, Bob got a scholarship to study Architecture in the then Soviet Union, completing his MSc. in 1991 and Ph.D. in 1994. While in Moscow For the preliminary defense in 1995, Bob had brought along some of his paintings and in a bit to raise some money for his up keeping, Bob visited several Art galleries, the interest they showed towards hosting his personal exhibition fueled him up. Bob’s Visa was expiring and had no money to frame his works so he went to Kazakhstan after three months in Moscow. Six months later Bob had his first Art exhibition, which he called “The Return”. Seeing this as the return to Bob as an Artist.