BRENT HEROES

Click through the list below to find out about the achievements of these heroes from the Black community with a connection to Brent.

Uzo Egonu

Uzo Egonu (25 December 1931 – 14 August 1996) was a Nigerian-born artist who settled in Britain in the 1940s, only once returning to his homeland for two days in the 1970s, although he remained concerned with African political struggles. According to Rasheed Araeen, Egonu was "perhaps the first person from Africa, Asia or the Caribbean to come to Britain after the War with the sole intention of becoming a [visual] artist." After studying at Camberwell School of Art in the early 1950s he went on to exhibit widely in London. By the 1970s he had connected with other black artists in Britain such as Winston Branch, Ronald Moody, Mercian Carrena, Armet Francis, Emmanuel Taiwo Jegede, Neil Kenlock, Donald Locke, Cyprian Mandala, Ossie Murray, Sue Smock, Lance Watson and Aubrey Williams, and exhibited with them at the Second World Black and African Festival of Arts and Culture, in Lagos, Nigeria in 1977. Also in the 1970s Egonu had moved to and set up a studio in Kenton, Wembley. He has works in national collections including the Tate Gallery.