Ancient African Craftsmanship Meets Futuristic Innovation
About Us
Who Are We?
A visionary art studio crafting breath-taking traditional art pieces hailing from the illustrious Benin Kingdom. Bridging the past and present, we reimagine timeless tales through modern mediums and preserve current narratives with age-old traditions.
Our Origins
Our story commences with Oba Ewuare, the eminent ruler of the 14th-century West African empire, known as the Benin Kingdom.
After turning Benin into one of the mightiest empires in African history, an ageing Oba Ewuare, commissioned multiple guilds to create enduring masterpieces that would immortalise his reign. While most guilds depicted the Oba in his old and fragile state, one chose to celebrate the elderly man as the indomitable warrior king he once was - The Bronze Casters. Their audacious vision so captivated Ewuare that he elevated them above all craftsmen, inadvertently igniting an artistic lineage that would burn brightly for over five centuries till this day.
Our Legacy
Over the ensuing four centuries, the Benin Empire thrived, and bronze casting took centre stage as the paramount art form. The land was adorned with countless bronzes that captured the grandeur of fearless warrior kings, the ever-evolving civilization, and the enchanting tapestry of sensational sagas, brimming with love, lust and desire —all set against the captivating backdrop of the tropical rainforest and the mystical red sand.
Yet, the 19th-century scramble for Africa scattered these precious artefacts to the winds—some into the clandestine realm of the black art market, others displayed as trophies within former colonial powers' museums. As the boundaries of the Benin Empire receded, it morphed into Benin City, nestled within a nascent nation named Nigeria.
Upon Nigeria's declaration of independence, the resilient descendants of Oba Ewuare and valiant citizens of Benin City embarked on a relentless two-decade battle to reclaim their heritage and restore these bronzes to their rightful domain.
Our Future
Amid recent repatriation triumphs, a new generation of Benin descendants saw a void. As conversations focused on the ancient relics, we noticed a gap in telling modern tales. Energised by this realisation, we embarked on a journey to conceive a new collection of bronzes, creating stories reflecting our present reality.
And hence Next Gen Bronzes was born.
Our Mission
- To capture the complexities of our modern age using the treasured canvas of timeless bronze craftsmanship.
- To transmit the legends that have ignited the legacy of bronze casting into the future.
- To provide a unique perspective on culture, history, and artistry to the global community
We are not just cultural custodians but pioneers pushing its boundaries.
We are the successors in an enduring lineage of storytellers
We are the crossroads where the ancient meets the futuristic.
We are NEXT GEN BRONZES.