Chief Ovia Idah (1903–1968) was a Nigerian sculptor, painter, carpenter, designer, and educator.
[2][3][1] He worked in many mediums including in ebony wood, ivory, plastic, as well as terracotta and cement.
Idah was employed as a carpenter with the Public Works Department in Lagos from 1923 until 1947.
[4] Idah's sculptures broke from local carving traditions and had their own unique style.
[8] He was included as part of the book, "New Currents, Ancient Rivers: Contemporary African Artists in a Generation of Change" (Smithsonian Institution Press, 1992), one of the largest surveys of contemporary African art at the time.