The impact that visual images has on the dissemination of Bruce Onobrakpeya’s symbolic messages to the Nigerian peoples is the focus of this paper. The researchers stress that Onobrakpeya started to experiment with symbolic images of the Urhobo people and a complete set of ideograms that he calls IBIEBE symbols has emerged from this experiment. They reappraise the varied symbolic images that Bruce Onobrakpeya had used to disseminate national security messages to the Nigerian peoples. The study also places emphasis on the usage of colours in passing cultural messages in African society. It is, however, revealed that in some African cultures colours give contextual connotations to peace, danger and life respectively. Onobrakpeya’s childhood encounter with the colour red was used by the researcher to support this argument. It is concluded that through the inherent symbolic representations and communicative messages in his prints Onobrakpeya has encouraged patriotic ideals as a Nigerian citizen.
Keywords: African Society, Communicative message, Cultural messages, Representation., Symbolic, Symbolic messages
