Osogbo art school: From Mbari experiment to global reckoning

'Osogbo art: Progenitor of Nigerian modernism'

From Mbari to global art

OSOGBO art school is known for its creative outputs that rouse the viewer's curiousity. Its history is equally as interesting and phenomenal too. The story  of  its emergence in the early 1960s, as narrated by one of its first generation members, Chief Jimoh Buraimoh, links many families, cities, institutions and professions. 

Buraimoh, one of the adventurous artisan-turned artists that emerged from the series of experimental art workshops to become a globally-recognised celebrities, says Osogbo's current status as an international cultural destination is largely a result of its artworks.

 He noted that though the Osogbo art school originated serendipituously, it has turned out to be the real progenitors of modernism in Nigeria visual arts.

Explaining to Nigerian Compass, Buriamoh (Asoju Oba of Gbodofon, Osogbo) noted that, “the founders (of Osogbo art school) had no idea of the impact or the legacy they would leave behind.” 

The Osogbo art workshop experiment originated form a series of creativity-development excercises in Ibadan, Ede and Osogbo dubbed Mbari Club by its initiator and co-ordinator, Ulli Beier, a German language teacher who was an extra-mural teacher in the then University College, Ibadan. Buraimoh said the Mbari derived its name from the Igbo language expression for open-air display house and can be stretched to mean “club.” But for their case the Mbari was adapted from the Yoruba language expression, 'ti m ba ri yin lati Ibadan ma ba yo' (If I see you at Ibadan, I would be happy). Hence the name 'Mbari Mbayo' Club.

He revealed that it was after a performance at the deceased dramatist Duro Ladipo's centre in Ibadan that the German anthropologist and language teacher, Beier recognised his (Ladipo's) immense creative talent and leadership trait. He therefore encouraged him to convert his popular recreation centre and bar located on the ground floor of his house to Mbari club house.

Buraimoh who worked as a stage designer and electrician with Ladipo informed that the changing of the popular bar to Mbari Mbayo paved the way for the  Ladipo's  National Theater which opened in 1962.  From then onward, Mbari Club (later known as Mbari Mbayo Club) became an important art hub where emerging playwrights, actors, musicians and artists were discovered through regular workshops exhibitions and stage drama performances. The workshops were held in Ibadan (now capital of Oyo state) and in Ladipo's countryhome in his native Osogbo, Osun state. Some of the discovered youngsters neither had any previous idea that they were artistic nor were aware that art was a  profession. Through the down-to-earth regime of exposure by Beier and his former partner Sussane Wenger, and the leadership style of Ladipo the young one discovered their talent and got their voice in the early years of post-Independence Nigeria.

 Buraimoh said Mbari used to be a regular rendezvous spot for artists and writers in university city of Ibadan. “It was not only artists and writers from Ibadan but those from all parts of Nigeria because, as you know, Ibadan being a university town and the second largest city in the country, it actually attracted arts people from all over the places,” he said.

 According to Buraimoh, Beier and Wenger were teaching staff of the University of  Ibadan then, and that brought in the campus community.

Beier and Wenger, Buraimoh informed, had arrived  Nigeria in the 1950's and settled in Osogbo where, apart from their job in the university, they engaged in a lot of community services which involved the culture of the natives. According to him, Beier  pursued a career in contemporary art and drama while Wenger was drawn deeply to the Yoruba traditional religion and its mythlogy. She eventually became so involved in the Yoruba religious practice to the extent that  Beier ultimately divorced her. Hence Wenger got married to a traditional drummer, Lasisi while Beier later married another artist, Georgina Beier who actually conducted the second phase of the experimental art workshop in August 1964 at Osogbo. While the earlier workshops in Ibadan was named Mbari Club, the ones later staged in Osogbo, were named Mbari Mbayo Club.

Buraimoh deems Beier’s contributions to Nigerian and African modern arts of the  20th century, immense.

“He has made a tremendous impact both as a scholar and as a mentor or catalyst for developing contemporary artists and promoting movements in literature, drama and art. His vast accomplishments are difficult to summarise because he touched many areas in the most significant way. He was co-founder of the Mbari at Ibadan in 1961 and Mbari Mbayo in Osogbo in 1962 and he directed theater productions. Later he directed, Iwalewa Haus – an African art centre in Germany.  His anthologies include Art in Nigeria (1960), Contemporary Art in Africa (1968) and Twenty Years of Osogbo Art (1991).  In 1997, he directed the African and Third World Center at the University of Bayreuth in Germany – the first European establishment dedicated to promoting contemporary third world arts,” recounted Buraimoh.

 According to Buraimoh, who has exhibited in some of the most reputable art houses around the globe and executed highly note worthy public art commission, the first group of students that participated in the Mbari workshop conducted by Beier comprised the late Jacob  Afolabi, late Rufus Ogundele, Chief Muraina Oyelami, Yinka Adeyemi, Ademola Onibokuta (aka 'Professor,' a former director of Osun state Council for Arts and Culture), Adebisi Fabunmi, late Tijani Mayakiri Jire and Alake Buraimoh (nee Ajibola).  “As members of the Duro Ladipo National Theater, the group met the challenges very seriously,” he noted. 

 On  the second workshop that was conducted by Georgina Beier in 1964.  Buriamoh informed that well over 30 participants attended - comprising both members of the theater company and others. At the end of that exercise in Osogbo, four major artists: Chief Taiwo Olaniyi (aka Twins Seven Seven), Oyelami, Adebisi Fabunmi and himself emerged from the lot – all who are now internationally renowned studio artists were lads who were doing other things apart art. And none of the had a college study before attending the workshop.

 The veteran artist hinted that it was the perculiar form of orientation in the workshop that woke the hidden creative treasures in them.

 “The system of instruction adopted by Georgina was to make us more independent right from the beginning. We were neither shown any paper nor told what to do. Rather, we were asked to express what was in our minds. She provided us with brown paper, brushes and powder paints that as amateurs, we mixed with water.  At the end of the two-week workshop, Georgina and Beier sorted out the works they thought were good – based on each individual’s approach. The background of our theatrical training and performance experience greatly helped us. Our first expressions of visual art clearly represented interpretations of the music, festivals, choreography and other images of the theater.

“Georgina helped us to understand that we must each discover an individual style in order to make our art authentic. She instilled in us that notion that every one of us must search for his individuality. Twins Seven Seven was the first to develop his own style in pen-on-canvas. Muraina Oyelami used roller-on-cardboard, while Bisi utilized print making. Gradually, I found my style in bead art mosaic,” he appraised. 

 With these discoveries a generation of artists that are destined to lure the world to Osogbo with their creativity was born and the city, now capital of Osun state, got an identity in the art world with its perculiar crop of magical, folksy painters. Asked the overall influence of the school on Osogbo as a city, Buraimoh, the only Osogbo native of the quartet said: “The total effect of the school was not immediately known. Most of the town's people called us “Omo Adunni Olorisa” the children of Adunni, the pagan (Adunni Olorisa was the name most members of the city called Wenger). They believed anybody working with Beier, Ladipo and Susanne Wenger were pagans.  Later, when we started traveling overseas and were gaining international recognition, they started to have a change of mind and became more friendly to us. 

 More so,  due to our increased number of interational and local exhibitions, and the astute works of  Wenger, Osogbo began to attract more visitors; some western scholars came to study the culture of the land and stay for months. This led to the development of Osogbo as a cultural town, giving it an outstanding edge over the neighbouring towns within the south-western region of Nigeria. The arts also influenced politics in Osogbo. In recognition of  Lapido’s work, he was nominated to become the Councilor for Education in 1966.  Twins Seven Seven was elected to a similar post in 1985 and eventhough he is not from Osogbo, he was honoured with chieftaincy titles.  In 1968, Muraina Oyelami was installed as the Eesa of Iragbiji (his native town near Osogbo). Eesa is a high traditional chieftaincy title, second-in-command to the Oba. And over the last 30 years I have been offered chieftaincy titles in eight cities, all of which I rejected.  I later accepted the title of Asoju Oba of Gbodofon in Osogbo that is similar to the vice mayor position in America,” he recalled. Hence, art – modern art blended with traditional art – became interwoven in the culture of the land.

 Buraimoh who went ahead to study fine arts for a diploma of the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria also noted that the the city equally began to boom, economically through the exportation of Osogbo art to other parts of the world as more and more younger ones took to the art profession as well as cultural tourism promotion. Researchers, and teeming academic thesis on Osogbo art also emerged in art schools and libraries.

 “Today whenever anybody has a desire to learn about Osogbo art, he or she will consult numerous publications. These publications are the documented works of the various artists who have emerged from Osogbo. After a long time of interaction between the indigenous artists of Osogbo with their outside counterparts and foreign friends and visitors, a characteristic perspective of Osogbo art with better understanding has developed. This development in itself has created an opportunity for both the indigenous artists and their foreign counterparts. It has opened a wide window on Osogbo and individual artists. It is to the extent that countless exhibitions have presented the works of artists from Osogbo to a larger world. The exhibitions have developed such a strong relationship to this art and establishede it as a formidable contemporary African art movement. Significantly, different forms of artworks from different generations of Osogbo art abound in many countries and cities of Europe and America, from London to New York, Baltimore, Washington D. C., Atlanta, North Carolina, Germany, Italy and other places. Many of the artworks have become properties of foreign states and dignitaries. They are the products of cultural exportation from Osogbo. And especially, indelible cultural landmarks for the various artists,” reasoned Buraimoh.

Throwing more light on the Osogbo school of art Buraimoh sort to establish Beier's and Wenger's legacies in their individual compartments. “ Osogbo art school is the brainchild of  Beier while the Sacred Art Movement is the manifestation of the traditional perception and devotion of Susanne Wenger.  While the Osogbo art school produced various artists in Osogbo based on contemporary arts, the Sacred Art Movement was a group of traditional artists with strong belief in the traditional deities and worship. They have used their religious impetus and authority to fashion out artworks related to different Yoruba deities thereby enhancing the values of traditional Yoruba religion. They have equally used their works to beautify and honour the gods and goddesses. This trait is particularly vivid in the production of gigantic monumental sculptures and structures used in the protection of the Osun-Osogbo Sacred Grove that would have been deforested and desecrated by the religious fanatics in the 1950s and 1960s. However, one important factor is the point that both Ulli Beier and Susanne Wenger have contributed significantly to the growth of art in Osogbo.  They have equally promoted Osogbo arts to the level of acceptance all over the world. It is equally interesting that members of these two groups have metamorphosed into reputable and internationally respected artists who often have relationships with one other. It is a common cultural course in the service of Osogbo land.”

In furtherance of the legacies of Beier and Wenger, members of the art buzz they have created are equally expanding the business and professional frontiers of their field. Buraimoh who runs a remarkablly busy big art studio in the town as well as a chain of successful businesses including the Heritage Hotels, observes: “It is interesting to note that the Osogbo school of art is the foundation of art in Osogbo and beyond. Its influence has gone beyond Osogbo because the first generation of  artists or pioneer students of the school have established in many spheres. In Osogbo it is a common knowledge that galleries exist in almost every street. I, Jimoh Buraimoh, am almost in every part of the town. The galleries are the focus of attention and tourists' destinations. Visitors and lovers of art troop to to Osogbo to see and patronise the displays in the galleries and other cultural centres. The galleries belong to both the pioneers and younger artists in Osogbo. This current effort has led to the establishment of many artists’ organisations such as Coalition of Professional Artists of Osogbo COPA, Artists Co-operative and many others.

This coalition of artists has gone a step further by establishing an Artists Village. Situated at the buffer zone of Osun-Osogbo Sacred Grove. With the permission of the National Commission for Museums and Monuments, the village when completed will have  such facilities as a conference room, central gallery for artists' works, huts for different traditional crafts and indigenous industries like batik making, sculpture, black soap making, gold and silver smiting, blacksmiting among others. The foundation laying of the project was done in August 2006. This is another way of standardising the Osogbo art as well. It is also a way of promoting younger generation of artists,” he said.

He added that the Osun-Osogbo Sacred Grove which was declred a World Heritage Site in July 2005 is very important to the growth and development of art in Osogbo. “The listing of the Grove has conferred an international status on the site, thereby, once again placing Osogbo on the world map. This has also increased tremendously, the patronage of art in Osogbo. It has refocused the direction and conception of the artists as well as elevated their standards in content and context. The Osun-Osogbo Grove is the venue of the yearly, Osun Osogbo Festival.  A unique festival among the people of Osogbo, it is essentially a celebration of the founding and establishment of the Osogbo kingdom. It is equally a renewal of the spiritual bond between the spiritual community in the sacred forest and the ancestral fathers of Osogbo. This festival has greatly influenced the socio-cultural set up of Osogbo as well as contributed positively to the economic activities of all strata of the people. The Osun Grove is remarkable the only Grove of its size and dimension measuring about 75 hectares of rainforest vegetation in the whole of South-Western Nigeria where traditional Yoruba religion has been kept alive despite interventions from Western civilization. It is a fusion of culture and nature,” he explained.

The Osogbo art school has also rubbed off visibly in the researches and curricullum of neigbouring academic institutions even as it was established as a non-formal institution. It is also magneting other notable government and non-governmental institutions. Buraimoh informed that recently the Ladoke Akintola University (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, Oyo state “established its medical school close to the Grove. The import of this is that the Grove and the LAUTECH are now neighbours. If this situation is allowed to grow into a symbiotic relationship between the duo, we may soon have an environment where the youths of the institution will utilize the abundant cultural resources as well as natural heritage of the Grove. Because of the strategic location of Osogbo as the cultural center of the south-west and Yoruba land, another Federal Government cultural organization, the National Gallery of Art  is developing a facility at Osogbo. Its existence will complement the efforts of the National Commission for Museums and Monuments as well as open up more opportunities for artists to develop and exhibit their talents through their works while also boosting the land's culture and tourism economy,” he reasoned.