Oguntona, Fakeye, Brutus follow each other in death
Following their demise, artists and art lovers who at one point or the other had to interact with them on professional and personal grounds have continued to express their heartfelt feelings of loss of these art personalities. Oguntona was a lecturer at the Department of Industrial Design, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria since the early 70s […]
Following their demise, artists and art lovers who at one point or the other had to interact with them on professional and personal grounds have continued to express their heartfelt feelings of loss of these art personalities.
Oguntona was a lecturer at the Department of Industrial Design, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria since the early 70s and retired from the institution in 2004. Retired but not tired, he went on to start the Department of Fine and Applied Arts in the university of his state, Ogun. At the Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago Iwoye, Ogun State, he was responsible for setting up the department to the amiable standard in which it currently operates and for the recruiting of lecturers who run it. This led to the accreditation of the department, a legacy that he will forever be remembered for. He lectured there until his death on Christmas Eve 2009.
Fakeye, best described as Nigeria’s foremost wood sculptor and master carver, was a fifth-generation carver of the highly respected Fakeye family. During his long career, he achieved great fame around the world as one of the greatest African artists of modern times. According to reports, he was born in Ila Orangun, Osun State in 1928 where he was prophetically given the middle name Olonade interpreted as ‘the carver has arrived.’ The family name Fakeye is an honorific title that the King of Ila bestowed upon his great grandfather for his artistic accomplishments.
True to that middle name, Lamidi Olonade Fakeye’s career began at the age of 10 when he carved his first piece and began studying traditional Yoruba art under his father. In 1949, he was apprenticed to the master carver, George Bamidele Arowoogun and worked with him for a great deal of time. The year 1960 was a momentous one for Fakeye as his first son was born and his first solo art exhibition opened in Nigeria. In 1978, he became an instructor at the Obafemi Awolowo University in Ile-Ife, Osun State where he unveiled his incredible statue of Oduduwa nine years later. Between 1989 and 1995, Lamidi served as artist-in-residence at several prestigious American universities.
Remarking on the loss of both art icons, Professor Tonie Okpe of the Sculpture unit of the Fine Arts department, Ahmadu Bello University, and one-time colleague of Prof. Oguntona said, “Both Professors Toyin Oguntona and Lamidi Fakeye will be missed by the studio practice dictate of art teaching institutions in Nigeria, because while Fakeye was contributing to the development of wood sculpture at the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Toyin Oguntona held sway in the textile studios in Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria.
“They both showed that both theory and practice were complementary rather than the held notion of “contradictory” or “supremacy” of the theory over practice by a few art scholars in Nigeria. Fakeye’s contribution to studio practice as artist-in-residence at OAU further enhanced the contribution of non-formal form of teaching art, which is akin to Oguntona’s strict studio practice and exhibition tradition at ABU.
In line with Prof. Okpe’s remarks, Dr Ken Okoli, also of the same institution added that, “It is such excellent studio practice tradition as exemplified by both Fakeye and Oguntona that art schools in Nigeria need to embrace in order to deliver what aspiring artists expect when they are admitted into art schools for training.”
Last year, Fakeye along with master artist, Bruce Onobrakpeya were eventually recognised by UNESCO and honoured with the UNESCO Living Human Treasure Award.
At the moment, the Omo’ba Yemisi Adedoyin Shyllon Art Foundation (OYASAF), which holds the largest collection of his works in the world, is working on a book on the artistic history and style of his carvings and art, informed Engr. Yemisi Shyllon, chairman of the OYASAF.
Also, the South African writer and political activist, Dennis Brutus died at age 85 on Boxing Day. A statement from his family representative, Patrick Bond, reads in part: “World-renowned political organiser and one of Africa’s most celebrated poets, Dennis Brutus, died early on December 26 in Cape Town, in his sleep, aged 85”.
Three consecutive days of December 2009 took away three great souls of the arts – Professor Toyin Oguntona who passed away on 24th from health-related issues; Professor Lamidi Olonade Fakeye passed on, on 25th and Dennis Brutus on 26th. It was a sad yuletide for the art community, but with gratitude that these lives were well spent and impacted greatly on the community.