At the time of independence, most African countries were poised to take charge of their own affairs. However, postcolonial realities characterized by political upheavals, coups and counter-coups, civil wars, and economic downturn, among other setbacks, created a sense of ambivalence in terms of political and economic freedom. In Nigeria, satirical expressions became the tool used against oppressive regimes. In post-independence Nigeria, from the military dictatorial era to the present civilian dispensations,1 sociopolitical issues have been lampooned in different forms of expression such as music, performance, cartoons, and memes. Within this environment, political cartoons began to thrive, as they became a relatively safe way to comment on the political issues of the day (Akande 2002: 2). This was achieved largely by concealing the main subject matter behind the “masks” of metaphoric imagery, which enabled cartoonists to develop narratives that counter the dominant narratives, often opposing governmental policies and...
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Summer 2019
June 01 2019
Masked in Metaphors: Counter Narratives in the Works of Nigerian Cartoonist Mike Asukwo
Ganiyu A. Jimoh
Ganiyu A. Jimoh
Ganiyu A. Jimoh holds a PhD in art history from the University of Lagos, Nigeria. His research focuses on the satirical aspect of contemporary African visual culture. He is currently a postdoctoral fellow at the Department of Fine Art, Rhodes University, South Africa. jimgaconcept@yahoo.com; jganiyu@unilag.edu.ng.
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Ganiyu A. Jimoh
Ganiyu A. Jimoh holds a PhD in art history from the University of Lagos, Nigeria. His research focuses on the satirical aspect of contemporary African visual culture. He is currently a postdoctoral fellow at the Department of Fine Art, Rhodes University, South Africa. jimgaconcept@yahoo.com; jganiyu@unilag.edu.ng.
Online ISSN: 1937-2108
Print ISSN: 0001-9933
© 2019 by the Regents of the University of California.
2019
The Regents of the University of California
African Arts (2019) 52 (2): 32–39.
Citation
Ganiyu A. Jimoh; Masked in Metaphors: Counter Narratives in the Works of Nigerian Cartoonist Mike Asukwo. African Arts 2019; 52 (2): 32–39. doi: https://doi.org/10.1162/afar_a_00458
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