Birth: July 15, 1915, in Owo, Ondo State. Died 1984. Training: Hammersmith School of Arts & Crafts, London, 1951-1953; awarded Nigerian government scholarship to study museum technology, Institute of Archeology, University of London, in Cardiff, Paris and Scandinavia, 1951; studied restoration of plaster casting, British Museum, London, 1958. Profile: Full name, Justus D. Akeredolu; arts and crafts teacher, Government School, Owo; commercialartist, C. M. S. Bookshops, Lagos; together with Akinola Lasekan, opened an art studio; part-time arts and crafts instructor, Methodist Schools, Lagos; did restoration, conservation and photography, Nigerian Department of Antiquities, National Museum, Lagos; under authority of Nigerian government, established the Owo Museum, Owo, 1959; generally credited with originating the genre of thorn carvings;created miniature figures from the wild cotton tree; also carved houseposts, wooden panels, ivory bracelets, hip masks, and fan handles; designed and made jewelry. Solo Exhibitions Berkeley Galleries, London, 1945. Group Exhibitions Empire Exhibition, Glasgow, Scotland, 1938. Harmon Foundation, New York, USA, 1948. "Contemporary African Painters," British Council, Ibadan, 1960. "Exhibition of Nigerian Contemporary Art," Dakar, Senegal, November 25December 7, 1980. "SilverJubilee NationalArt Exhibition," National Theatre, Lagos, September 26October 1, 1985. "The RiverShallNever Rest:Transitionsin Yoruba Art," Mary Porter Sesnon Art Gallery, University of California, Santa Cruz, USA, May-June 1987; UCLA Museum of Cultural History, UCLA, LosAngeles, USA, February 7-April 3, 1988. "Nigerian Lifein Miniature: In Memory of Justus Akeredolu," Hunterian Museum, University of Glasgow, Scotland, January 14-April1, 1989. Writings by the Artist "Ife Bronzes," Nigeria Magazine (Lagos)no. 59:341-353, 1958.illus. Public Collections Hunterian Museum, Universityof Glasgow, Scotland. Thorn carvings:"Boy Hoeing," and "Girl Grinding Meal," 1937-1938, among others. National Gallery of Modem Art, Lagos. Woodplaques: "Mother &Child" and "A Hausa Man." Bibliography "Thorn Figure Carving," [J. D. Akeredoluand G. A. Aghara]. Nigeria Magazine (Lagos) no. 14: 134-137, June 1938. illus. Nigeria Magazine (Lagos)no. 15:216, September 1938. [illus. only]. "Panels Carved in Woodby J. D. Akeredolu," Nigeria Magazine (Lagos) no. 32:8687, 1949. illus. Bascom, WilliamR. & Paul Gebauer. Handbookof West African Art. Milwaukee: Bruce Publishing Co., 1953. Nigeria Magazine (Lagos) no. 75: 82, December1962. [illus.only]. "Our Authors and PerformingArtists-II," Nigeria Magazine (Lagos) no. 89:133-140, June 1966. Thompson, Robert Farris. Black Gods and Kings: Yoruba Artat UCLA. Los Angeles: University of California, Museum and Laboratories of Ethnic Arts and Technology, 1971. See Chapter 17/2. Bascom, William. "Changing African Art," pp. 303-319. In: Ethnicand Tourist Arts: Cultural Expressions from the Fourth World, edited by Nelson H. Graburn, Berkeley, University of California Press, 1976. Berkeley, University of California Press, 1976. Willett, Frank. "Nigerian Thorn Carvings:A LivingMonument to Justus Akeredolu," African Arts (LosAngeles)20 (1): 48-53, 98, November 1986. illus. (some color), bibliog. The River Shall Never Be At Rest: Transitions in Yoruba Art; [exhibition held at Mary Porter Sesnon Art Gallery, University of California, Santa Cruz, USA, May-June, 1987]. Santa Cruz: The Gallery, [1987]. 24pp. illus. See pages 16-20. Poynor, Robin. "Naturalism and Abstraction in Owo Masks," African Arts (Los Angeles) 20 (4):56-61, 91, August 1987. bibliog., port. Willett, Frank. "Nigerian Lifein Miniature: In Memory of Justus Akeredolu," [review of an exhibition held at the Hunterian Museum, University of Glasgow, Scotland, January 14-April 1, 1989]. African Arts (LosAngeles)22 (4): 80-81, August 1989. illus.
Last Update
“Please send your updated CV to: [email protected]” – Editor
© Blerf
All entries available on this Website shall be updated from time to time in order to add, modify or amend the information or contents of an existing entry. Accordingly, no legal proceedings whatsoever shall be entertained by the biographer on account of any information deemed to be inadequate or incomplete.
Recent Comments