Jesus is condemned to death
- Artist: Bruce Onobrakpeya
- Date: 1969
- Medium: Linocut on paper
- Dimensions: image: 245 x 588 mm
- Museum: Tate Modern
- Collection record: Tate Modern website
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About this artwork
This is the "Jesus is condemned to death" by Bruce Onobrakpeya. Created in 1969, it's a linocut on paper that marks the first of fourteen prints in the artist's Stations of the Cross series. Onobrakpeya reimagines the biblical moments in an African context—apostles clad in richly patterned Adire, the guards in colonial police uniforms, and geometric motifs that echo Nigerian textiles and architecture. The color palette leans into blues and greens with splashes of yellow and orange highlights. The print’s elongated landscape format draws the viewer into a narrative that moves from Pontius Pilate’s condemnation through the crucifixion and into the tomb. This piece reflects the artist’s experience during the late colonial period and his commitment to a uniquely Nigerian modernist visual language. It invites us to see a familiar story through a fresh cultural lens.
See it in person
Jesus is condemned to death is in the collection of Tate Modern on Bankside, London — free to enter. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
