Welcome to my website. My name is Valentine Efiong. I was born in Lagos, the former capital of Nigeria, on the 5th of November 1957. In the seventies I sutdied in the art department of the University of Ife in western Nigeria. There I studied mainly sculpture and ceramics. Materials for these techniques were easily avaliable. But I was more interested in other forms of expression which hardly existed in Nigeria, for example etching and lithography. In 1979 I ended my studie at the university without a degree. I had decided to further my development as an artist in Europe. I ended up in Holland in the early eighties. Shortly after my arrival I took the entrance exam to the Rietveld Academy in Amsterdam. I suceeded and was admitted to the department of Graphics and Painting. In 1989 I graduated with a diploma. After my graduation I moved to Amsterdam South-East, where I lived and worked for many years. I now live and work in Amsterdam North.

I began drawing as a child. At home, no blank surface was safe from me! On paper, carton, the walls, my school books and even the ceiling. My creative spirit was (and still is) strong. But as the first son, that part of myself was not always appreciated. But art is life and life is art. Enjoy my work.

Right: 'THE LIGHT'  (DETAIL)  Acryl on canvas 2009  40x50cm