Lamidi Olonade Fakeye
(1928–2009)Fifth-generation Yoruban wood carver, artist, and academic Lamidi Olonade Fakeye merged the contemporary with the traditional through the intricate sculpting of religious and royal Yoruban figures.
Biography
After learning Yoruban wood sculpting techniques from his father, Fakeye worked under Catholic priest George Bamidele Arowoogun in 1949 at the Oye-Ekiti Workshop, run by Irish priest and architect Kevin Carroll. Mission workshops, common during the colonial period, trained African artists in Western classical styles.
From one block of Iroko wood, Fakeye chiseled tall figures with highly detailed, geometric patterns and exaggerated, angled features. As he often depicted soldiers, chiefs, deities, and other figures of power, their broad shoulders and elongated statures embodied strength. Due to the spiritual and ritualistic history of Yoruba wood carving, Fakeye emphasized symbolism over literal representation.
With Caroll’s support, Fakeye held his first solo exhibitions through the British Council in Ibadan, Nigeria, in 1959 and 1961. In 1962, he received a scholarship to attend the École Nationale des Beaux-Arts in Paris. Fakeye’s lifelong relationship with Western Michigan University began with his first artist-in-residence term in 1963; the following year Fakeye became the president of the Society of Professional Arts of Nigeria. Fakeye cited the 1970s as his career peak, when he realized he had mastered his craft. He lectured at Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) in Nigeria for thirty years and was an artist in residence at OAU in 1972 and the University of Ife in 1978. His work joined the collection of the Indianapolis Museum of Art in 1994, and he became a Kellogg Visiting Artist at Michigan State University in 1999, exhibiting at the Smithsonian Institute that same year. In 2008, Fakeye received the Living Human Treasure Award from UNESCO. His work entered the Studio Museum permanent collection in 1980.
Lamidi Olonade Fakeye
(1928–2009)Fifth-generation Yoruban wood carver, artist, and academic Lamidi Olonade Fakeye merged the contemporary with the traditional through the intricate sculpting of religious and royal Yoruban figures.
Biography
After learning Yoruban wood sculpting techniques from his father, Fakeye worked under Catholic priest George Bamidele Arowoogun in 1949 at the Oye-Ekiti Workshop, run by Irish priest and architect Kevin Carroll. Mission workshops, common during the colonial period, trained African artists in Western classical styles.
From one block of Iroko wood, Fakeye chiseled tall figures with highly detailed, geometric patterns and exaggerated, angled features. As he often depicted soldiers, chiefs, deities, and other figures of power, their broad shoulders and elongated statures embodied strength. Due to the spiritual and ritualistic history of Yoruba wood carving, Fakeye emphasized symbolism over literal representation.
With Caroll’s support, Fakeye held his first solo exhibitions through the British Council in Ibadan, Nigeria, in 1959 and 1961. In 1962, he received a scholarship to attend the École Nationale des Beaux-Arts in Paris. Fakeye’s lifelong relationship with Western Michigan University began with his first artist-in-residence term in 1963; the following year Fakeye became the president of the Society of Professional Arts of Nigeria. Fakeye cited the 1970s as his career peak, when he realized he had mastered his craft. He lectured at Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) in Nigeria for thirty years and was an artist in residence at OAU in 1972 and the University of Ife in 1978. His work joined the collection of the Indianapolis Museum of Art in 1994, and he became a Kellogg Visiting Artist at Michigan State University in 1999, exhibiting at the Smithsonian Institute that same year. In 2008, Fakeye received the Living Human Treasure Award from UNESCO. His work entered the Studio Museum permanent collection in 1980.