OLATUNDE, Asiru

Asiru Olatunde (Osogbo, Nigeria, 1918 - 1993) was a prominent Nigerian artist, sculptor, and blacksmith, considered one of the foundational figures of modern art in his country and a key member of the influential art movement known as the Osogbo School. Olatunde was born into a traditional family of Yunda blacksmiths and goldsmiths of Yoruba culture (following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather). In his youth, he also learned to play the ceremonial talking drum, which he used to play in local shrines. During the 1950s, a severe illness prevented him from continuing the heavy labor of traditional blacksmithing. He then began making small jewelry for local markets. His talent caught the attention of German scholar Ulli Beier and Austrian artist Susanne Wenger, key figures in Osogbo's cultural renaissance, who encouraged him to channel his mastery of metals into artistic creation in 1961. He became one of the pillars of the Oshogbo School of Art, a collective that promoted contemporary art in Nigeria by rescuing indigenous mythological roots and reacting creatively against cultural colonialism. In 1967, he was appointed the first president of the Osogbo Artists' Association. His work crossed Nigeria's borders, being exhibited in world-renowned institutions such as the Smithsonian Institution in the United States and the headquarters of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Olatunde developed a very personal and distinctive technique of metal embossing and engraving (primarily on aluminum, copper, and recycled iron panels). Through meticulous hammering, chiseling, and point-texturing work reminiscent of traditional Yoruba shrine decorations, he achieved highly expressive plays of light and shadow. His works narrated complex visual stories combining Yoruba mythology and folklore with biblical tales adapted to local Nigerian contexts, as well as scenes from everyday life. A recurring and universal motif across his panels was the theme of the "Tree of Life."