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Photography by Edward C. Robison III

Dancing in Nigeria

Inspired by Nigerian culture, architecture, dance, and West African music, Melvin Edwards developed the idea for Dancing in Nigeria during his first trip to Ede, Nigeria, in 1970. Celebrating motion, Edwards based this sculpture on drawings and diagrams he created that follow a dancer’s movements. As you walk around this sculpture, consider how the different angles might look like a dancer’s body moving in space.

ArtistMelvin Edwards, 1937–2026
Date1974-1978
MediumPaint on welded steel, in two parts
Dimensions69 x 86 x 66 in. (175.3 x 218.4 x 167.6 cm) (233.7 x 180.3 x 111.8 cm)
Credit LineCrystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, Arkansas, 2017.9
ClassificationSculpture
ProvenanceArtist; (Alexander Gray Associates, New York, NY); purchased by Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, AR, 2017
On ViewYes
Dancing in Nigeria69 × 86 in.Standard/Movie Poster40 × 27 in.

This artwork's face covers about 5.5× the area of a standard movie poster.Drawn to the same scale.