Lamidi Olonade Fakeye (1925 – December 25, 2009) was a fifth generation

Nigerian Nigerians or the Nigerian people are citizens of Nigeria or people with ancestry from Nigeria. The name Nigeria was taken from the Niger River running through the country. This name was allegedly coined in the late 19th century by British jour ...

sculptor Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable sc ...

and academic. He was from the Inurin compound of the Isedo Quaters in Ila-Orangun. Professor Lamidi contributed immensely to the growth of

sculpture Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable sc ...

in the whole of the country and even beyond.

Background

Fakeye was born on 1925 in

Ila Orangun Ìlá Òràngún (or Ila) is an ancient city in Osun State, Nigeria, that was capital of an ancient city-state of the same name in the Igbomina area of Yorubaland in south-western Nigeria. Ìlá Òràngún is the more populous sister-city (and si ...

, Nigeria. He first carved a sculpture in 1938 at that point he was an

apprentice Apprenticeship is a system for training a new generation of practitioners of a trade or profession with on-the-job training and often some accompanying study (classroom work and reading). Apprenticeships can also enable practitioners to gain a ...

under the auspice of his father. In 1949, he began to be an apprentice with the master sculptor George Bamidele Arowoogun.

Career

In 1955, he went to work at Holy Cross Primary School in

Lagos Lagos (Nigerian English: ; ) is the largest city in Nigeria and the List of cities in Africa by population, second most populous city in Africa, with a population of 15.4 million as of 2015 within the city proper. Lagos was the national ca ...

, Nigeria as an art instructor. His first

solo exhibition A solo show or solo exhibition is an exhibition of the work of only one artist. The artwork may be paintings, drawings, etchings, collage, sculpture, or photography. The creator of any artistic technique may be the subject of a solo show. Other s ...

was in 1960 and took place at the British Council in Nigeria. In 1962, he was named the

artist-in-residence Artist-in-residence, or artist residencies, encompass a wide spectrum of artistic programs which involve a collaboration between artists and hosting organisations, institutions, or communities. They are programs which provide artists with space a ...

Western Michigan University Western Michigan University (Western Michigan, Western or WMU) is a public research university in Kalamazoo, Michigan. It was initially established as Western State Normal School in 1903 by Governor Aaron T. Bliss for the training of teachers ...

Kalamazoo, Michigan Kalamazoo ( ) is a city in the southwest region of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is the county seat of Kalamazoo County. At the 2010 census, Kalamazoo had a population of 74,262. Kalamazoo is the major city of the Kalamazoo-Portage Metropolit ...

. By 1964, he was elected president of the Society of Professional Artists of Nigeria, the same year that his exhibition opened at the

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in Nigeria. In 1971, there was an exhibition that showed three generations of Fakeye woodcarvers in Ibadan, Nigeria. He was appointed to the Faculty of Arts, University of Ile-Ife in 1978. In 1989, he served as the artist-in-residence at a number of universities in cities such as

Cleveland Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...

and

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. He published his

autobiography An autobiography, sometimes informally called an autobio, is a self-written account of one's own life. It is a form of biography. Definition The word "autobiography" was first used deprecatingly by William Taylor in 1797 in the English peri ...

in 1996 and had a retrospective exhibit at Hope College in Holland, Michigan. A retrospective exhibition of his life's work was held at the Smithsonian in 1999 and some of his

artwork A work of art, artwork, art piece, piece of art or art object is an artistic creation of aesthetic value. Except for "work of art", which may be used of any work regarded as art in its widest sense, including works from literature ...

is being housed by Johfrim Art and Design Studio.

Awards

*1989: Awarded

Oyo State, Nigeria Oyo State is an inland States of Nigeria, state in southwestern Nigeria. Its capital is Ibadan, the List of Nigerian cities by population, third most populous city in the country and formerly the second most populous city in Africa. Oyo State is b ...

, Special Merit Award *1999: Appointed Kellogg Visiting Artist for Michigan * 2008: Named a

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

Living Human Treasure.

Movie

In 2011, a movie was made about Fakeye's life called ''Lamidi Olonade Fakeye: The Life of a Master Carver'' directed by Joe Reese and written by Elizabeth Morton.

Death

Fakeye died on December 25, 2009, in Ile-Ife, Nigeria. His death was due to complications following prostate-cancer surgery.

References

External links

Full Documentary: Lamidi Olonade Fakeye: Life of a Master Carver *https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pyxe44VG1ro {{DEFAULTSORT:Fakeye, Lamidi Olonade 1928 births 2009 deaths 20th-century Nigerian sculptors 20th-century Nigerian male artists Yoruba artists Western Michigan University faculty Academic staff of Obafemi Awolowo University Nigerian expatriate academics in the United States Yoruba academics People from Osun State Art educators Nigerian woodcarvers