Sam Ovraiti Passion Series May-July 2017

Sam Ovraiti is known as an extremely expressive colourist from Nigeria. He was born in Zaria, Nigeria in 1961. He now lives and works in Lagos. He is the Artistic Director of the Harmattan Workshops.

Unlike a number of other artists, Sam works with a lighter palette, preferring to handle with great delicacy subtle colours that often flow one into the other, as reflected in his paintings.

His deep observance of light and colours on people and his local environment led him to create the African Market Series and the Passion Series. Both subjects are fascinating, highlighting tradition and his local environment, while also celebrating the women of Nigeria and the country itself in all its splendid colour.

Ovraiti has received multiple prestigious awards for excellence, including in 2004 the Guinness Top Three Award for Contemporary Artist in Nigeria. He trained at Auchi Polytechnic and the University of Benin, where he gained a distinction in his Higher National Diploma in painting and a Masters Degree in Fine Art.

In October last year,  Sam was awarded Outstanding Ambassador of the Auchi School at the 7th Auchi Arts Convention.

We hope you enjoy looking at his work.