Nigerian Master Woodcarver Offers Lectures, Creates Art, Conducts Workshops During Time at UNC Charlotte

February 20, 2013
Categories: College of Humanities & Earth and Social Sciences, Community Engagement

Nigerian master woodcarver, structure designer, folklorist and environmental activist Kasali Akangbe Ogun is serving as the 2013 Africana Artist-in-Residence at UNC Charlotte.

During his residency, from Thursday, Feb. 7, through Tuesday, March 12, Akangbe is creating a body of works titled “Diverse Faces/Linked Fate.” He also is conducting workshops and demonstrations on woodcarving at the university and the Harvey B. Gantt Center and giving public presentations on the intersections of folklore, rituals and environmental activism in his art.

“This is the first time since the inauguration of the program that we are hosting an international artist who derives inspiration directly from the wellspring of a classical African tradition, in this case the Yoruba Civilization of West Africa,” noted Akin Ogundiran, chair of the Africana Studies Department in the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences.

“In Kasali’s Yoruba society, an artist is a philosopher, a social commentator, a preserver of tradition and memory and also an innovator who experiments with new styles and pushes cultural aesthetics and imagination to the limits of socially acceptable forms,” Ogundiran said.

“Kasali Akangbe has been performing this artistic role for over 40 years. His creative works transcend the traditional boundaries of sculpture, structural design, folklore and environmental preservation. We are very excited that he will be sharing his knowledge with our students and community during his visit to UNC Charlotte.”

Akangbe is a founding member of the Osogbo New Sacred Art School, led for many years by the Austrian-Yoruba artist, priestess and environmentalist, the late Suzanne Wenger. The art movement is credited with the invention of a neo-modern form in Yoruba art during the 1960s, and for using this form as part of the aesthetic, religious and political strategies for the preservation of the 420-year-old Osun Sacred Grove. This UNESCO World heritage site in Nigeria is the largest protected sacred grove in Africa.

ElegbaraOne of five invited artists who designed the largest New Sacred Art Collection in the Western Hemisphere at Iwalewa House, Bayreuth University, Germany, Akangbe was honored with the Master Image Maker Award at the National Black Theater in New York in 1991. His work has been displayed worldwide in more than 60 exhibitions.

The Africana Studies Department, in collaboration with the College of Arts + Architecture and with the support of the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, initiated the Africana Artist-In-Residence program in 2009. The program’s goal is to showcase the work of artists and art critics whose original perspectives and creative energy advance a deep understanding of the experiences of Africana peoples worldwide. Previous artists-in-residence were T.J. Reddy, visual artist and civil rights activist (2009); Tayo Aluko, an award-winning singer known for his work on Paul Robeson (2010); John Perpener III, a dancer, historian and scholar (2011); and Barbara Higgins Bond, an award-winning illustrator (2012).

The 2013 Africana Artist in Residence is funded through a UNC Charlotte Chancellor Diversity Challenge grant, with additional support of the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, the College of Arts + Architecture, the Office of International Programs, Atkins Library’s Special Collections, Organization of African Students at UNC Charlotte, the Harvey B. Gantt Center for African American Arts and Culture and the Council for the Advancement of Yoruba Studies.

The events are:

  • Feb. 15, 7 p.m. Harvey B. Gantt Center. “The Art of Creating: A Demonstration.”
  • Feb. 19, 12:30 p.m. Fretwell, 405. “Becoming An Artist: Disconnected Heritage, Innovation and Creativity.”
  • Feb. 20, 5 p.m. Fretwell, 405. “How We Saved Osun Grove: The Art of Preservation in Nigeria’s Largest Sacred Forest.”
  • Feb. 27, 9:30 a.m. Denny, 106. “What Does It Mean to be an Artist in Nigeria Today?”
  • Feb. 27, 3:30 p.m. Macy 207. “The Importance of ARt in Yoruba Healing and Health Practices.”
  • March 12, 2 p.m. Garinger 113. Grant Finale. Exhibition Opening: A Yoruba Artist’s Vision of Diverse Faces, Linked Destiny.”