BEYOND his endless flow of creativity which is acknowledged across the globe, energy, warmth and a curiosity for fresh ideas are the other assets of Dr. Bruce Onobrakpeya that distinguish him from his contemporaries.

Perhaps, like the Spanish painter, Pablo Picasso who stood tall among the great figures of modern art in the last half of 20th century, Onobrakpeya will never grow old. On Thursday, August 30, 2007, the veteran artist will turn 75, yet dynamism and childlike fantasies that marked his art even when he began his journey into creativity with carving twigs and sticks in the hinterlands of the River Niger Delta, over 60 years ago, remain evident. He backs it up with a radiant humble mien that makes him 'flow' and interacts with several generations of artists. Born in Oghara, in Agbarha area of Ugheli, Delta State, Onobrakpeya has turned out from a very humble birth and upbringing to become one of the versatile figures of Nigerian art. The teacher and experimental artist, who was born on August 30, 1932 is about the most travelled and internationally documented Nigerian artist.

Prof. John Picton, of the School of Oriental Art Studies, University of London, once said: "Bruce Onobrakpeya is among the most successful artists to have emerged in West Africa during the 20th Century... with continuing and commanding influence on the generation of artists in Nigeria who have come to maturity in the post colonial period."

The veteran painter, printmaker, poet and sculptor, was early this year honoured with the Living Human Treasure Award by UNESCO and the Federal Government of Nigeria.

His earliest international exposure in the arts, was when his artworks were first featured and exhibited in the Sixth Biennale, Sao Paulo, Brazil in 1961, while he was still a student, at the Nigerian College of Arts, Science and Technology, Zaria now Ahmadu Bello University.

Onobrakpeya is the initiator of the annual Harmattan Workshop for Art, which holds in Agbarha-Otor, his home town in Delta State. Onobrakpeya was named the 2007 Grand Prinx Winner of the Biennale of Prints in Versailles, France. The Biennale is regarded as an international benchmark of works of art. His winning entries at the Biennale are titled Dance to Enchanted Song and Dance in the Bush of Ghosts.

His artworks are in several collections around the world and in places like the Presidential Lodge, Abuja; the Vatican in Rome, the Museum of African Art at the Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC, USA; and the St. Paul's Catholic Church, Ebute-Metta, Lagos.

He had his name listed in the year 2000 prestigious Cambridge Biographical Centre Who's Who as among 1000 intellectuals of the 21st century.

He holds the national honour of Member of the Federal Republic (MFR).

Since 1998, Bruce Onobrakpeya has held an annual forum in the village where he grew up. During the event, called the Harmattan workshops, promising artists hone their skills, through creative exploration and experimentation and also learn about developments in contemporary African art and forge ties with peers in Nigeria and overseas.

His works can be found on display at his Ovuomaroro Gallery Studio home in Mushin, Lagos, Nigeria.

By Chuka Nnabuife