Nike Okundaye makes Nigeria proud in USA
When it comes to spreading the gospel of arts across the continents, only a few female artists can brave the odds and Nike Okundaye belongs to this class of the select few. Agozino Agozino witnessed the recent outing, where the Detroit Institute of Arts, USA, honoured her with an award
RECENT events in the life of Chief (Mrs.) Nike Okundaye, the founder/ director of Lekki, Lagos-based Nike Art Centre, have proven very eventful, considering her more-than-usual busy schedule.
Recently, she was honoured with the revered traditional title of Yeye Obalufon of Ido Osun, by the Ataoja of Osogbo, His Royal Majesty, Oba Jimoh Olanipekun, a sign of her growing popularity in Nigeria. However, while she was still basking in the euphoria of this honour from a first class king, another big international recognition followed suit when the Detroit Institute of Art honoured her recently, with the African Art Recognition Award (ARRA) in the United States of America.
The event was aptly tagged, 2016 African Art Recognition Award and was jointly organised by the Detroit Institute of Art (DIA) and Friends of African and African-American Arts in the Institute’s lavish auditorium in Detroit.
The ceremony, which was graced by personalities, including celebrities, art patrons, top-ranking academics and other news makers, was a special date for Mrs. Okundaye, fondly called “Mama Adire or simply Mama Nike”, as it also featured art exhibition, lecture and cultural dance performances. The dancers, resplendent in their colourful costumes, re-enacted some of the rich Yoruba cultural folklore. It was a spectacular display, which the august audience applauded.
Oluwasheyi Awoyomi, a US-based Nigerian art and tourism promoter further spiced the event with her contemporary dance performance. Friends of Nike, whom she mentored, came from different parts of the USA, in their numbers, all gaily dressed to honour her.
Oluwasheyi Awoyomi, a US-based Nigerian art and tourism promoter further spiced the event with her contemporary dance performance. Friends of Nike, whom she mentored, came from different parts of the USA, in their numbers, all gaily dressed to honour her.
In his speech, Director of DIA, Salvador Salort-Pons, expressed the need for other artists to emulate Mrs. Okundaye. Salvador who described the day as a sweet moment, for himself and the institute, described Nike as a successful artist, who continually and diligently, puts African art on the world map. “Nike’s innovative work in the indigenous Yoruba Adire textile industry straddles traditional and contemporary African designs. She has combined her innovative cloth design with dressmaking and fashion in ways that have catapulted her to the global stage”, according to Salvador.
At the end of the event, it was obvious that many of the dignitaries present went away satisfied that the institute gave the award to the person who, truly, deserved it. It was the consensus of opinion of the audience that “Mrs. Okundaye is a unique artist, who, diligently, pushed the Nigerian art into the global mainstream, despite her humble background”.
Founded in 1885, DIA remains a beacon of art and culture, as it, firmly, believes in the promotion of arts and creativity. It also boasts of a museum and gallery, among other art and culture facilities.
Born on May 23, 1951, Nike attended St. Michael’s Primary School, Ogidi, Kogi State but, her education terminated in Primary 6 because of lack of funds. To many young girls in such circumstance, not being able to continue school would have, probably, led to early marriahe, but, it was not so with Nike as she took up the challenge, determined to explore, to the fullest, the destiny that awaited her. She went ahead to teach herself English at home as a way of navigating the pathway of life without let or hindrance.
She was later taught art by her great-grandmother, the late Madam Ibikunle, with whom she lived after the death of her mother and grandmother. Her great-grandmother was a weaver and an adire textile maker/dyer. Watching her great-grandmother and helping her out in the art of adire processing, Nike worked diligently to become an expert in the art of dyeing, weaving, painting and embroidery.
Steadily building on what her great-grandmother taught her, Nike went ahead to develop her own unique style and technique in textile design, and painting as well as how to effectively present them for exhibition.
Although, from a humble beginning and without the benefit of any serious formal education, she still strived for excellence and became a source of hope to many who, hitherto, had no hope. As the Chief Executive of Nike Centre for Art and Culture, Osogbo, Osun State, she offers free training to Nigerians in various forms of art. She is also the curator of the Nike Art Galleries in Lagos, Abuja, Osogbo and Ogidi.
In 1996, as a way of empowering her native Ogidi women in Kogi State, she established a textile (aso oke) weaving centre in her home town. More than 200 women have, so far, benefitted from that initiative. Nike is always happy of her Ogidi background that yearly, she brings important foreign dignitaries home to savour the beauty of the town. Among her lists of foreign dignitaries who have followed her home are ambassadors of major western countries like the United States of America, Switzerland, Italy, Ireland etc. Perhaps, more than any Ogidi indigene, she has helped to adequately position her town in the cyberspace.
Nike holds the traditional titles of Yeye Oba of Ogidi, YeyeTayese of Osogbo and YeyeGbasaga of Ijumu. She is a member of the Society of Nigerian Artists, Society of Nigerian Women Artists, Osun Support Groove etc. She has won awards from all over the world, including one of the highest Italian national awards which she was given in appreciation of her efforts in using arts to address and solve the problems of Nigerian commercial sex workers in Italy.
