Lamidi Olonade Fakeye

Place: Ila Orangun

Born: 1925

Death: 2009

Biography:

Lamidi Olonade Fakeye, a fifth generation Nigerian sculptor and academic, was born in 1925 in Ila Orangun, Nigeria. He was from the Inurin compound of the Isedo Quaters in Ila-Orangun. Lamidi Olonade Fakeye contributed immensely to the growth of sculpture in the whole country and even beyond.

Early Life and Training

was taught the art of carving by his father and later became an apprentice under the master sculptor George Bamidele Arowoogun. He first carved a sculpture in 1938 at the age of 13. In 1955, he went to work at Holy Cross Primary School in Lagos, Nigeria as an art instructor.

Career and Achievements

's first solo exhibition was in 1960 and took place at the British Council in Nigeria. In 1962, he was named the artist-in-residence at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, Michigan. By 1964, he was elected president of the Society of Professional Artists of Nigeria, the same year that his exhibition opened at the United States Information Service in Nigeria.

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

Legacy and Death

's death on December 25, 2009, in Ile-Ife, Nigeria, was due to complications following prostate-cancer surgery. His legacy lives on through his artwork, which is being housed by Johfrim Art and Design Studio. His contributions to the growth of sculpture in Nigeria and beyond are undeniable, and his work continues to inspire artists around the world. https://Wikioo.org/Art.nsf/O/A@D3AKSP https://Wikioo.org/Art.nsf/Art_EN?Open&Query=painting+by+rembrandt+peale,painting,rembrandt,peale& https://Wikioo.org/@@/D26784-The-Museum-Instituto-Ricardo-Brennand-(Brazil)--A-Hidden-Gem-of-Art-and-Hi.. https://Wikioo.org/Art.nsf/O/A@D3B5QB