History is not behind us. History runs through us. Across centuries and continents, there is an unBROKEN thread — a line that connects the creativity of Africa’s past with the imagination of our present and the innovations of our future.

Essays

The Walls of the Great Benin Kingdom:
A Civil Engineering Wonder

Oriiz explores the often overlooked achievements of pre-colonial African societies, highlighting the monumental legacy of the Walls of Benin and other engineering marvels. For centuries, the dominant narrative of human civilisation has been disproportionately shaped by a selective historical perspective. This view has often marginalised and overlooked the remarkable achievements of pre-colonial African societies. The […]

09 Mar 2026 / Read more...

Book Reviews

Book Review from The Sun: A nation that never stops making art

Originally featured on The Sun The Harbinger: A window into the soul of a people: 8,000 Years of Art in Nigeria, reminds readers of a truth often ignored in mainstream narratives, Nigerian art did not begin with colonial contact nor did it pause because of it. Instead, it has continued, quietly, defiantly, intelligently, across centuries. […]

03 Feb 2026 / Read more...

Book Review from The New Telegraphng: The Harbinger

Originally featured on The New Telegraphng There’s something quite audacious about THE HARBINGER”, a landmark four part book series written by Oriiz U. Onuwaje. This book is not just about documenting 8,000 years of Nigerian art history, a window into the soul of a people; it aims to reframe the nation’s art as single, continuous, […]

26 Jan 2026 / Read more...

Book Review from The Art Hub: The Harbinger

Originally featured on The Art Hub In The Harbinger (Crimson Fusion, Lagos; 2025), Oriiz U. Onuwaje challenges the long-standing notion that African artistic genius is accidental or fragmented. Instead, the book argues for African art as the product of a continuous and deliberate intellectual tradition stretching across millennia. Drawing on examples such as the Benin […]

09 Jan 2026 / Read more...