Tech giants, Google, on Wednesday celebrated Nigerian potter, Ladi Kwali, with a doddle, describing her as one of the finest artisans from the country.
“Today’s Doodle celebrates the life of Nigerian educator, ceramicist, glassworker, and potter Ladi Kwali, who helped introduce the international community to the beauty of Nigerian art through intricately decorated earthenware designs,” Google wrote in a blog post.
“Here’s to you, Ladi Kwali! Thanks for putting your unique spin on a traditional craft and sculpting a place for future generations of women artisans,” it said.
Born in 1925 to a family of potters in Kwali, Abuja, Ladi Kwali learnt pottery from her aunt. She was to later refine the coil and pinch methods as she made several containers ornamented with animal iconography.
Her works began to gain fame when aristocrats started showcasing them as home decorations. In 1954, Kwali made history when he joined the Abuja Pottery Centre and was the first Nigerian woman to train in advanced pottery techniques.
“She fused her traditional style with these innovative methods to craft a hybrid collection of pottery stylized with zoomorphic illustration,” Google said about her.
“Kwali continued to break the mold into the 60s with exhibitions across Europe and the Americas, achieving international acclaim.”
As she grew in her career, she lectured in her local community, sharing secrets of her craft, and received a doctorate from Ahmadu Bello University in 1977 and the Nigerian National Order of Merit Award in 1980.
Kwali was honoured by the Nigerian government. Her face was used in the N20 note, becoming the first and only Nigerian currency to feature a woman.
