LAMIDI, Fakeye

Address: Department of Fine Arts, Obafemi AwolowoUniversity, IleIfe, Oshun State. Birth: 1928 in Ila-Orangun, Oyo State. Training: Began carving under his father's tutelage; apprenticed for three years to the well-known sculptor, George Bandele (Bamidele, son of Areogun); attended Father Kevin Carroll's sculpture workshop, Oye-Ekiti, 1947-1951; studied stone carving, rlcoledes Beaux Arts, Paris, France, 1962-1963. Profile: Full name, Lamidi Olonade Fakeye; brother of Akin Fakeye and uncle of BisiFakeye; worked from his own studio in Ondo and later for the University of Ibadan, Ibadan, the Western House of Assembly and numerous European and American galleries; lecture tour giving demonstrations on Yoruba art in the United States, 1963-1966; artist-in-residence, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, USA, 1966; demonstrations, Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, Illinois, USA, 1972; visiting art fellow, Department of Fine Arts, University of Ife, Ile-Ife, 1978; lecturer, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, USA, 1983;visiting international scholar, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, USA, 1987; artist-inresidence, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife. Solo Exhibitions British Council, Lagos and Ibadan, 1949. British Council, Ibadan, 1961. "Lamidi Fakeye," American Cultural Center, Ibadan, October 15-31, 1986. Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, USA, September 15-October 2, 1987. Group Exhibitions British Council, Ibadan, 1960. Independence Exhibition, Lagos, September 20-October 2, 1960 Commonwealth Arts Festival, Royal Festival Hall, London, 1965. First World Festival of Negro Arts, Dakar, Senegal, 1966. "Contemporary African Art," Camden Arts Centre, London, August-September 1969. "Contemporary Nigerian Sculpture on the Occasion of the Tenth Anniversary of Ife," University of Ife, Ile-Ife, September-October 1973. University of Lagos, Lagos, 1974. "Contemporary African Arts," Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, USA, April 20-November 3, 1974. FESTAC '77, Lagos, 1977. "Moderne Kunst in Afrika," Tropenmuseum, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 1980. "African Art: Past and Present," Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA, May 3-31, 1982. [and other venues in Ohio]. "West Africa: Powerful Patterns," Kauffman Museum, Bethel College, North Newton, Kansas, USA, October 7, 1989-January31, 1990. Commissions Carved house posts, Edena Gate House, palace of the Oni of Ife, Aderemi Adesoji, Ile-Ife, 1953. Carved chapel door and central panel, "Scenes from the Life of Christ," Ibadan University, Ibadan, 1954-1955. Carved church doors, Oke-Padi, Ibadan, 1956-1957. Bishop's throne, Ibadan Cathedral, Ibadan, 1959. Two carved posts, Pavillion of Western Region, 1960. Pair of carved doors, University TeachingHospital, Ibadan, 1960. Carved wood statue, "Oduduwa," Obafemi AwolowoUniversity, Ile-Ife,1987. Carving, Ikoyi Hotel, Lagos. Carved wooden house pillar, Nigerian AntiquitiesService, Lagos. Carved table, Western Regional House of Chiefs and House of Assembly,Ibadan. Carved doors, St. Peters CatholicChurch, Ebute Metta, Lagos. Carved verandah posts, Institute of AfricanStudies, University of Ibadan, Ibadan. Carved verandah posts, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, Michigan,USA. Carved panel doors, USIS, ibadan. Carved doors, Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Washington, DC. Carved doors and podium, African HeritageClassroom, Cathedral of Learning, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. Awards & Honors Order of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1960. Public Collections Carl Van Vechten Gallery of Fine Arts, Fisk University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA. Wood sculpture. Federal Ministry of Information, Cultural Division, Lagos. Wood plaques: "Plenty" and "Work and Sacrifice." Hampton University Museum, Hampton, Virginia, USA.Works formerly in the Harmon Foundation Collection. National Museum of African Art, Washington, DC. Wood sculpture: Janus-faced Epa helmet mask and Yoruba relief panel. Oxford University, England. Carved mask. Seattle Art Museum, Seattle, Washington, USA. Wood sculpture: Figure with Bowl. The Studio Museum in Harlem, New York, USA. Wood sculptures: "Shango" and "Oshun," 1966. Bibliography Carroll, Kevin. "Carved Door of the University Catholic Chapel," Ibadan (Ibadan)5: 18, February 1959. illus. Beier, Ulli. "Complicated Carver: Lamidi Fakeye Exhibitionin Ibadan," West African Review(London) 31: 30-37, June 1960. Lancaster, Michael. "Exhibition Centre, Marina, Lagos," [and] "Mbari: a New Venture in Nigerian Culture," [and] "Muralsat U. C. I.," Nigeria Magazine (Lagos) no. 74: 1991-1995, September 1962. illus. Carroll, Kevin. Yoruba Religious Carving: Pagan and Chistian Sculpture in Nigeria and Dahomey. New York:Praeger, 1967,cl966. illus., port. "Portrait-Fakeye, Lamidi," West Africa (London) 53:551, 1969. [illustration of Fakeye carving a figure]. Ogunwale, TitusA. "LamidiFakeye: NigerianTraditional Sculptor," African Arts (LosAngeles) 4 (2): 66-67, winter 1971. port. Povey,John. "FirstWord," African Arts (Los Angeles) 5 (3): 1, 5, 7, spring 1972. Povey, John. "First Word," African Arts (LosAngeles)5 (4): 1, 3, summer 1972. Wahlman,Maude. "Art in Africa Today: Preview to a Forthcoming Exhibit," Field Museum of Natural History Bulletin (Chicago) 44 (8): 3-7, September 1973. Catalogue [exhibition of Anthony Efionayi, LamidiFakeye, IsiakaOsunde and Abayomi Barberheld at the Universityof Lagos, 1974] / sponsored by the Faculty of Art, University of Lagos,Lagos; essay by Abayomi Barber. [Lagos: s.n., 1974]. 13pp. Wahlman, Maude. Contemporary African Arts. Chicago: Field Museum of Natural History, 1974. 124pp. ilius. (some color). See pages 43-47. Wahlman, Maude. "A Festivalof Contemporary Arts," [previewof an exhibition entitled "Art in Africa Today", Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago]. African Arts (Los Angeles) 7 (3):16-17, 69-71, spring 1974.illus. Wahlman, Maude. "The Contemporary African Arts Festival," [review of an exhibition entitled "Art in Africa Today" held at the Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, April 20-November 3, 1974]. Field Museum of Natural History Bulletin (Chicago) 45 (4):3-8, April 1974. illus. (color). Armstrong, Robert Plant. "Art in AfricaToday," [review of an exhibition held at the Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, April 20-November 3, 1974]. African Arts(Los Angeles) 7 (4): 72-74, summer 1974.illus. Awoonor, Kofi. "Contemporary Art Forms," pp. 337-346. In the author's The Breast of the Earth: A Survey ofthe History, Culture and Literature of Africa South of the Sahara, New York, NOK, 1975. Bascom, William. "Changing African Art," pp. 303-319. In: Ethnic and Tourist Arts: The Cultural Expressions from the Fourth World, edited by Nelson H. H. Grabum, Berkeley, University of California Press, 1976. Pruitt, Sharon Y. The Influence of Yoruba Religion on the Contemporary Wood Sculpture of Lamidi Fakeye. MA thesis, Howard University, 1976. [unpublished]. Fosu, Kojo. "New Trends in African Art: The Liberation of Symbolic Images," New Directions (Washinton, DC) 3 (4): 31-35, October 1976. illus. Fosu, Kojo. 'The Exhibition of African Contemporay Art," [Howard University, Gallery of Art]. Black Art (Jamaica, NY)1 (3): 49-54, spring 1977. illus. (color). [None by Fakeye]. Willett, Frank. "An AfricanSculptorat Work," African Arts (LosAngeles)11 (2): 2833, 96, January 1978. illus., bibliog. Povey, John. "The African Artist in a Traditional Society," Ba Shiru (Madison) 11 (1): 3-8, 1980. Stevens, Ruth, [on Lamidi Fakeye]. Nigerian Tribune (Ibadan) February 4, 1984, Pruitt, Sharon Yvette. "Kuntu Sculpture from the 1950's to 1982," pp. 66-119. In the author's Perspectives in the Study of Nigerian Kuntu Art:A Traditionalist Style in Contemporary African Visual Expression. PhD dissertation, Ohio State University, 1985. Ann Arbor: University Microfilms International, 1987.See pages 400-424 for interview. American Cultural Center Presents Lamidi Fakeye; [exhibition held at the American Cultural Center, Ibadan, October, 15-31, 1986]. Ibadan: American Cultural Center, 1986. 6pp. illus. McClusky, Pamela. African Art: From Crocodiles to Convertibles: In the Collection ofthe Seattle Art Museum. Seattle: Seattle Art Museum, 1987. 27pp. illus. Pemberton, John. "The Yoruba Carvers of Ila-Orangun," Iowa Studies in African Art (Iowa City) 2: 117-147, 1987. illus., bibliog. Haight, Bruce M. & Lamidi Olonade Fakeye. Lamidi Olonade Fakeye: African Sculptor of the Twentieth Century [and] Recent Works by Lamidi O. Fakeye: The Sculptor's Interpretation: A Retrospective Exhibition; [held at the Space Gallery, Knauss Hall, Western Michigan University, September 15-October 2, 1987]. Kalamazoo: Western Michigan University, 1987.4pp. + insert, illus. (some color). Reviewed: Peggy Michael, Kalamazoo Gazette (Kalamazoo) September 13, 1987. Yoruba Images: Essays in Honour of Lamidi Fakeye. Ile-Ife: Ife Humanities Society, 1988. (Ife Hmanities Monograph Series, no. 3). 159pp. bibliog. See especially: "Introduction," by Moyo Okediji, pp. 1-6; "Oduduwa: A Mythical Statue," by Ola Olapade, pp. 84-95; "The Images of Women in Lamidi Fakeye's Work: An Analysis of a Contemporary Art," by Olatunde Bayo Lawuyi, pp. 96-109; "The Image of Women in the Wood Sculptures of Lamidi Fakeye," by V. O. Akinola, pp. 110-120; "Decorative Patterns as Important Factors in the Evaluation of Lamidi Fakeye's Carvings, by P. S. O. Aremu, pp. 121-134; "Facts and Figures: Form of Fakeye's Figments," by Moyo Okediji, pp. 135-157. Reviewed: Toyin Falola, "Carving a Career," West Africa (London) no. 3707: 1574, August 29September 4, 1988. illus. Filani, Olakunle. Iconography and Aesthetics in Lamidi Fakeye's Carvings. Paper presented at Lamidi Fakeye Exposition, at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria, May 1988. [unpublished]. Wewe, Adetola. "Three-Dimensional Conceptualization of Oduduwa by Two Contemporary Nigerian Artists," Kurio Africana; Journal of Art and Criticism (IleIfe) 1 (1): 73-80, 1989. refs. Soppelsa, Robert T. "West Africa: Powerful Patterns," [review of an exhibition held at the Kauffman Museum, Bethel College, North Newton, Kansas, USA, October 7, 1989-January 31, 1990]. African Arts (Los Angeles) 23 (4):83, October 1990. illus. [None by Fakeye]. Oyelola, Pat. "The Image of Women in the Yoruba Art of the 20th Century," pp. 131-150. In: Oritameta: Proceedings, 19901 edited by Moyo Okediji, [Ile-Ife], Department of Fine Arts, Obafemi Awolowo University, [1991].