Jesus takes his cross
- Artist: Bruce Onobrakpeya
- Date: 1969
- Medium: Linocut on paper
- Dimensions: image: 241 x 595 mm
- Museum: Tate Modern
- Collection record: Tate Modern website
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About this artwork
This is "Jesus Takes His Cross" by Bruce Onobrakpeya. Created in 1969 as a linocut, it’s one of fourteen prints that retell the Stations of the Cross in a distinctly Nigerian setting. Notice how the apostles are wrapped in bright Adire patterns, while the men restraining Jesus wear colonial‑era police uniforms. The palette—mostly blue and green with splashes of yellow and orange—interacts with geometric shapes that echo traditional Nigerian textiles and architecture. Onobrakpeya blends biblical narrative with Yoruba visual language, inviting a dialogue between faith and cultural identity. The print encourages you to see familiar moments of Christ’s journey through a lens that is both religious and deeply rooted in post‑colonial Nigeria.
See it in person
Jesus takes his cross 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.
