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Nigerian potter Ladi Kwali was already creating beautiful pots in the 1950s when Michael Cardew, a well-known English potter, was recruited by the Nigerian government to build a pottery training centre in Abuja. While Nigerian potters had a long history of making magnificent pots that served the needs of the community, Cardew’s job was to help create a rural industry that would replace the factory-made tableware being imported for European-style meals. He introduced the wheel, along with the use of glazes and high-firing kilns, and persuaded Ladi Kwali to come to Abuja. She learned to throw, producing some tableware and smaller pots, but she continued to hand-build pots which she then glazed and high-fired, creating a sort of Anglo-Nigerian style. Ladi Kwali’s pots were sought after by collectors and the Abuja pottery centre was renamed in her honour.

Born: c. 1925
Died: 1984