Foremost
batik designer in Africa, Chief Mrs. Nike Okundaye, has continued to reposition
Nigeria and Africa’s rich culture in people’s lives through her work as an
artist. She reveals in an interview with ADA DIKE why people call her Mama
Adire.
--------------------------------
As a matter of fact, Chief Mrs. Nike Okundaye started her sojourn into arts when she
was just six. Because she lost her mother early in life, one of her mother’s
sisters took her to Osogbo. “From the very beginning, my family is into craft
art especially where I come from in Ogidi Ijumu, Kogi State. My first effort was
in weaving, then from weaving I moved into Adire (indigenous textile
designing) but later, I discovered the Batik, which I called the loss wax
method. But some people prefer to call it Campalla. One day, there was no electricity at night, so I lit a
candle I got from our church while preparing a fabric I wanted to dye. A melted
wax dropped on my fabric, so that part came out brighter and beautiful. That
was how I started using wax to do batik. From there, I started drawing designs
on the fabric which I used to do on the floor using a broom.
“Although it was by accident, that was
how people started calling me Mama Adire up till today. Adire
has carried me to many countries of the world. Apart from that, I also do oil
and acrylic paintings. We have held so many exhibitions in my gallery
since we opened. Some featured my works and other Nigerian and foreign
artists,” Okundaye explained.
Osogbo has a history because of its
rich art and cultural heritage and the fact that it was one of the centres for
Yoruba artistic heritage, it was while she was in Osogbo as a young girl that
she heard about the late Susanne Wenger and her husband Ulli Beier. “Up
till today, I consider them the main the major catalyst of Nigerian art
movement. The extra moral classes that Beier conducted in those days was
what help art in Nigeria to blossom. They identified those talents and built
them in arts. Today, as you know many of them have become international
artists.
“For me, Susanne was the one that I
derived inspiration from specifically; not only I but I guess other artists. It
was then that I said let me go and grow up with her because of the way she
embraced everybody and Yoruba religion and culture. Honestly, she truly
inspired me during my stay with her. That was how I started with arts.”
She built mighty art galleries in
Lagos, Abuja and a training centre at Osogbo, Osun State to give something to
the arts and culture, something that people will look at as a model and may be,
emulate. She reveals that, “I know that Nigeria has a lot of talented youths,
creative minds. But many of them have not been discovered. So this building is
dedicated to arts and culture in this country. It is for everyone to come and
express their creativity. This is the journey that I set to do in my life. Over
four decades ago, I started. I am happy that the fulfilment has come. God has
granted my prayer. Also, one of the memorable places that fired my zeal to
build the gallery was the Convent Garden in London African Centre. If you
go there, you will see all kinds of works and beautiful paintings from the
ground to the top floor. You will see paintings hanging all over the place.
After staying there, I kept dreaming of that place. I kept dreaming that one
day, I will build a gallery in Nigeria that will actually represent that kind
of project in terms promoting arts and offering an opportunity to artists to
trade their talents. Also, if you go to a country like Kenya, you have a
similar thing. I think they call their own, Heritage. They have all sorts of
arts and cultural heritages well preserved there. I felt that if a big gallery
like this can be built by the East African nation, we can have same in Nigeria.
So I told myself that it must come to pass. I thank God He has given me the
grace to accomplish it.”
Shedding lights on the
challenges artists face in Nigeria, Okundaye says, “Without even talking about it, many people know that finance is the
greatest problem that artists face. I think it will be very good if government
and banks can develop products and programmes that will help not only artists
but all creative people in this country. That will go a long way to solve some problems
for artists. Travelling
every weekend to Osun State to bring in new thing and tutor people on
industrial training is also challenging. I provided accommodation for them and
ensure that whoever comes to learn have a good stay. We also need sponsors to help
us to print books so that we will distribute them to children in schools. It
costs me a lot of money to do that.”
She
points out that: “Artwork is a therapy. If you see a work in which a mother is
carrying her baby, it means love and warmness. If you look at an artwork, you
would forget your problem.”
Born
on May 23, 1951, she is married to a retired commissioner of police, Mr.
Okundaye.
Nike
appealed to government to come to the aid of Nigerian artists so that tourists
will be attracted to visit and see Nigeria’s rich heritage. “I want the Federal
Government to help us in the maintenance of the gallery. Tourists that visit
Nigeria may not want to see a shopping complex or five star hotel but
creativity. I want the Federal Government to put money in the ministry of Art and
Culture so that we can have street art and heritage sites like Adire site in
Abeokuta, Ogun State, Indigo site in Osogbo, Osun State and bigger dye pits in
Kano,” she said.
Quote
Although it was by accident, that was how people
started calling me Mama Adire up till today. Adire has
carried me to many countries of the world. Apart from that, I also do oil and
acrylic paintings.
