Abstract:
Monumental sculpture is an aesthetic art structure meant to improve the appearance of any city or location, especially in cosmopolitan city such as Kano. Most researchers, over time, have focused their studies more on monumental sculptures in cosmopolitan cities of Nigeria like Lagos, Ibadan, Benin, Enugu and Owerri. Very little attention has been given to monumental sculptures in northern broad-based cities as Kano that boasts of quite a number of these monumental sculptures. This study was thus conducted to bridge this gap. The overall objective of this study was to identify monumental sculptures in public places within Kano State, analyse the identified sculptures, establish the art forms, contents and styles used in creating the monuments, and enumerate the motifs reflected to accumulate historical and humanistic literature that explain their meanings and fundamental values. Data were collected, using primary and secondary sources. The data collected for this study, were exclusively analysed and production techniques were fully discussed. The result of this research shows clearly that, monumental sculptures in Kano exist with strictly Islamic religion perception. Majority of these monuments, were in abstract forms while few were in realism. The existence of art schools in the State encouraged functionality of sculpture. Sculpture representation of monument existed in the historic lineage of Kano Emirate such as Silver jubilee, Nawata and Gawata. Some of the artists who produced these monuments could not be contacted, despite concerted efforts of the researcher. Kano State Government should mobilize necessary stakeholders towards the proper documentation of monuments and other art works of historical relevance in the state for researchers and art historians to access relevant information on art works. The Society of Nigerian Artists (SNA) in Kano State should embark on a campaign to sensitize the sculptors in the state on the need to embrace and explore other media of producing sculptures, apart from cement concrete and metal.
