‘My first art piece sold for one shilling’

Nigeria’s adire queen, Nike Davies-Okundaye is a global figure when it comes to the arts. She speaks about how it all began, being influenced by the late Susan Wenger and what artists must do to make a mark and succeed in the industry.   A lot of people know you in Lagos but you are […]

Nigeria’s adire queen, Nike Davies-Okundaye is a global figure when it comes to the arts. She speaks about how it all began, being influenced by the late Susan Wenger and what artists must do to make a mark and succeed in the industry.

 

A lot of people know you in Lagos but you are in Abuja as well. How long have you been in Abuja and what do you do here?

I opened my Nike Art Gallery which I call Nike Art Foundation now in 2000. The American ambassador came to Oshogbo and said what you are doing here they also need in Abuja. You should open it in Abuja. I said “Abuja?” He said “yes. Your people need you there and that is the main reason I came to Abuja. Our gallery and workshop are free of charge to train widows, less privileged and unemployed.

Marketing themselves is the problem a lot of craftsmen seem to have in Nigeria. There are events organised on different levels encouraging them to bring their works but not much is one in terms of attracting patronage to these works.

Well, I would say that is one thing that Moses Ayom has just done for us by creating a space like the Heritage Africa Village Square. This will be a rallying place for all of us in the creative industry. We have a lot of art market in Lagos and we are trying to educate people in Abuja about our services. People take artists to be rich people not knowing that nothing is possible without hard working and dedication. All you need to do is to follow your heart and you will surely succeed.

You should always have confidence in yourself, don’t be afraid to wear and market your work. After training people, I ask them to also train others. Then after training them we now ask you to come and have exhibition in order for you to have customers.  But whenever you are going to your customer, you have to wear what you make to create something new and beautiful. Also be humble to your customers.

What would you that creatives are doing wrong that is hampering their moving forward?

Well, art is just the last thing that the government will even attend to. In those days, government does not do anything. But with the support of people like Moses who has invested for us we are able to have a place to express ourselves. Also, we need to work hard for people to believe in our work and our product.  Artists are like ambassadors to the country, art is like the source, it is something that brings good name to Nigeria. But we need the promoter and that is why we have the media who have been writing about art with effort and energy. That is the passion. When somebody has passion, they will get there.

You said earlier that work revitalises you. How does that happen?

Well you know actually artists, don’t retire. We can look tired but we don’t retire. So when you work, you work with spirit and that spirit is your other side, that is driving you. Once you start the work, you are in another world. It is when you are finish that people now see what you are seeing when you are doing your work.

When you work hard, you have the energy to look younger. Your art is taking you to another level and the spirit of the art will keep you alive. It reduces your high blood pressure, it is like therapy. It relieves all your pressure when you work. So that will keep being young.

If you were not an artist what else would you have succeeded at?

Well, maybe I would have been a labourer because I don’t have a formal education. I only finished primary school and during that time I always used figures and patterns. Today the education I don’t have I made sure my children have. They have two Masters each and all of them are artistes. Those days when people come and shake our hand and say “your work is beautiful,” that makes our day. That was great achievement for us.

What was the first money you made form art?

The first money I made from art was one shilling in 1965 in Kabba. A reverend sister from Canada bought one of my embroidery pieces written “The Lord is my Shepherd.” She put it on the alter because, she believed it was more than a craft. At the time I was a babysitter and cleaner and did my art in the evening when the baby was asleep. She said people liked the work in Canada and ordered for more. Back then, I made two or three pieces from one yard of fabric which I bought for 23 kobo.

Who encouraged you to continue as an artist?

My mother passed on when I was six years old. I was taken to Oshogbo to stay with my aunt who is into adire making (tie and dye, batik). It was there I met Susan Wenger, an artist and told her I wanted to be like her. She asked me what I was doing and I told her adire. She encouraged me to keep doing more so that she could direct me to more customers. That was how my adire started gradually.

You had a very close relationship with her. How did you manage losing her?

There was a time she was ill and I took her to Abeokuta for medical attention. Having under gone medical treatment, she was jacked back to life. She told me she had property for me inherit them, peradventure something happened tomorrow. She came to Nigeria in 1950 with a monkey doll which she said is her spirit and whatever she did, she did alongside the monkey. Also, she has adopted children whom she handed over to me. I beckoned on her not to die and she responded, saying she was just sharing her property.  At that time, I was having my own personal challenges and she was a source of encouragement. Her death actually affected me because she was my confidant.

You said this morning you had to wake up at 3am to cook for your husband. How do you manage that?

When you have understanding on what marriage is all about, your marriage will work. My husband is a policeman who does not like artistes but got married to one. I have to compensate him to allow me do my art work.  I actually know that police and artists do not agree. When I met my husband, I asked him why the police always arrest artists, he said artists do not dress properly and they do not shave. As such if they are looking for criminals, they refer to artists. I decided to address my entire artists on how to dress properly.  This changed his impression about artist. He does not like to eat outside because I always cook for him.