Gani Odutokun (August 9, 1946 – February 15, 1995) was a contemporary Nigerian painter who is known for his contributions and nurturing of artists in the Zaria art society. His works include wall murals, paintings and book cover designs.

Early life and education

Odutokun was born in Nsawan,

Ghana Ghana (; tw, Gaana, ee, Gana), officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It abuts the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, sharing borders with Ivory Coast in the west, Burkina Faso in the north, and To ...

to Nigerian parents of Yoruba ethnicity who were originally from

Offa Offa (died 29 July 796 AD) was King of Mercia, a kingdom of Anglo-Saxon England, from 757 until his death. The son of Thingfrith and a descendant of Eowa, Offa came to the throne after a period of civil war following the assassination of Æt ...

Kwara State Kwara State ( yo, Ìpínlẹ̀ Kwárà), is a state in Western Nigeria, bordered to the east by Kogi State, to the north by Niger state, and to the south by Ekiti, Osun, and Oyo states, while its western border makes up part of the internation ...

and who were in the

cocoa Cocoa may refer to: Chocolate * Chocolate * ''Theobroma cacao'', the cocoa tree * Cocoa bean, seed of ''Theobroma cacao'' * Chocolate liquor, or cocoa liquor, pure, liquid chocolate extracted from the cocoa bean, including both cocoa butter and ...

trade. He spent his early childhood growing up in

Ashanti region The Ashanti Region is located in southern part of Ghana and it is the third largest of 16 administrative regions, occupying a total land surface of or 10.2 percent of the total land area of Ghana. In terms of population, however, it is the mo ...

but his father later relocated to Nigeria after a slump in the Cocoa trade. After secondary school, he worked as a clerk with

Nigerian Breweries Nigerian Breweries Plc, is the largest brewing company in Nigeria. It serves the Nigerian market and West Africa. History Early years The idea to establish a brewery in Lagos was first promoted by Frank Samuel of UAC prior to World War II. B ...

but with prodding from friends who saw his talent, he applied and got admission to

Ahmadu Bello University Ahmadu Bello University Zaria is a federal government research university in Zaria, Kaduna State, Nigeria. ABU was founded on 4 October 1962, as the pioneer university in Northern Nigeria. It was founded and named after the Sardauna of Sokoto, Al ...

, Zaria in 1972. He graduated from the college with a bachelor's and master's degree in Fine Arts in 1975 and 1979. After obtaining his bachelor's degree, he joined the Fine Arts department of ABU as a graduate assistant.

Career

Odutokun's artworks are known for exploring the nature of life. His paintings tend to explore philosophical concepts about "accident and design. " Some of his solo exhibitions include "Fragments and "The Seemingly Unbalanced Equilibrium", Some of his works also try to challenge Western expectations of

African Art African art describes the modern and historical paintings, sculptures, installations, and other visual culture from native or indigenous Africans and the African continent. The definition may also include the art of the African diasporas, su ...

. At times, Odutokun included political commentary in his works. The 1988 painting, "The King Shares a Joke with his General", alludes to the pretentious ideals of liberalism the Babangida

Death

Odutokun died while returning from an Exhibition which followed a workshop held at the Goethe Institute in Lagos. He was among four artists who died in a vehicular accident. In February 1995, Time No Boundaries, an Exhibition with paintings from dozens of artists from Northern Nigeria region was held at the Maison de France, Alfred Rewane road in Odutokun's honour. In 2008, a memorial art exhibition by the Nigerian Gallery of Art in honor of Odutokun's paintings was held at the

Aina Onabolu Aina Onabolu (1882 – 1963) was a pioneering Nigerian modern arts teacher and painter who was an important figure in the introduction of arts into the curriculum of secondary schools in the country. He promoted the drawing of environmental form ...

complex of the

National Arts Theatre The National Theatre, Nigeria is the primary centre for the performing arts in Nigeria. The monument is located in Iganmu, Surulere, Lagos. Its construction was completed in 1976 in preparation for the Festival of Arts and Culture (FESTAC) in ...

, Iganmu, Lagos.

References

External links

''Introduction to African Art''
1946 births 1995 deaths Ghanaian people of Yoruba descent Ghanaian people of Nigerian descent Road incident deaths in Nigeria Yoruba artists Ahmadu Bello University alumni 20th-century Nigerian painters Academic staff of Ahmadu Bello University Yoruba academics Ghanaian emigrants to Nigeria {{Nigeria-painter-stub