Ace Nigerian visual artist and lecturer, Yusuf Grillo, has died from complications of coronavirus (COVID-19).
Naija News reports that the news of his death was made known by his son, Gboyega Grillo.
The popular painter, aged 86, died in the early hours of today, Monday.
According to Gboyega, the remains of his father would be buried the same day at the Atan cemetery in Yaba, Lagos.
The late painter is considered one of Nigeria’s outstanding and academically trained painters.
Born in 1934, the former lecturer was known for his inventive works and the prominence of the colour blue in his paintings.
He became recognised internationally in the 1960s and 1970s while exhibiting a large collection of his early works.
Grillo made use of his western art training, combining western techniques with Yoruba sculpture characteristics.
He was a former head of the Department of Art and Printing, Yaba College of Technology in Lagos state.
Grillo was the first president of the Society of Nigerian Artists.
This article was originally published on Naija News