Yusuf Grillo, ace visual artist, dies of COVID-19

Yusuf Grillo, the ace Nigerian visual artist, has passed away at the age of 86.

According to NAN, Gboyega Grillo, son of the deceased, said the painter died of COVID-19 complications in the early hours of Monday morning.

The bereaved also disclosed that the remains of his father would be buried the same day at the Atan Cemetery in Lagos.

Grillo is considered one of Nigeria’s outstanding and academically trained painters.

The artist, born in 1934, 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.