One of his children, Mrs Adeyemi, confirmed Grillo’s passing.
Yusuf Grillo, an artist considered as one of Nigeria's outstanding and academically trained painters, is dead.
Grillo, who died on Monday, was born in 1934.
One of his children, Mrs Adeyemi, confirmed Grillo’s passing to Vanguard, saying, “Yes, my father is dead. He died this morning.
"As we speak, we are preparing to take his remains for burial."
Grillo attended Nigerian College of Arts, Science and Technology, Zaria; Cambridge University; and also schooled in Germany and the United States of America.
He was Head of the Department of Art and Printing at Yaba College of Technology.
He enjoyed international recognition in the 1960s and 1970s, while exhibiting a large collection of his early works.
He had a preference for blue in paintings with natural settings.