Born in 1931, Uzo Egonu left Nigeria at the age of 13 to complete his schooling in England where he then studied fine art and design at the Camberwell School of Arts and Crafts, London between 1949 and 1952. Unlike many of his Nigerian contemporaries similarly educated in Britain, Egonu chose to remain in London where, apart from a year spent in Paris in 1953, he lived and worked for the rest of his life.

Still Life (1980) was painted at the height of Egonu's mature period when he had adapted his practice to accommodate changes in his visual perception. Following the critical success of his paintings in Britain in the 1950s and 60s, Egonu embarked upon a decade of printmaking.

By 1979, his sight had been severely damaged by ...