OUTDOOR SCULPTURE AS AN INSTRUMENT OF CULTURAL IDENTIFICATION IN NIGERIA

Abstract

The rate at which African cultural identity is being relegated to the background is quite concerning to the artist. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine outdoor sculpture as an instrument of cultural identification in Nigeria. A survey research design was adopted for the study. The population comprised all 356 Fine Art lecturers in public universities in the South-East region of Nigeria. A sample of 102 Fine Art lecturers was selected using a convenience sampling technique. Data were collected using a researcher-designed instrument titled Outdoor Sculpture as an Instrument of Cultural Identification Questionnaire (OSICIQ). The data were analyzed using mean and standard deviation. The findings of the study revealed that outdoor sculpture serves as an instrument of cultural identification to a high extent in Nigeria. Based on this finding, it was recommended that the government should actively promote the use of outdoor sculpture as a means of preserving and enhancing cultural identity.