•How without formal education becomes a renowned university lecturer in Harvard
By DeboPopoola
“But today, I look at my childhood and all that I went through as something designed by destiny. Who knows, maybe if my mother had not died and I had gone ahead to be educated, I may never have had the kind of opportunity that I have today and may never have risen to the level that I am.”
Nike Okundaye, founder, Nike Art Gallery
For those who don’t believe in predestination, that life is a compendium of written scripts by the Divine, only enacted by humans as they take their roles even without them knowing how; and also for those who don’t believe that life is an interplay of paradoxes and ironies, of suspense and occasional interludes, maybe if they look deep into the life of Nike Okundaye, they will have a change of perception. How possible is it that a woman who never acquired any form of formal education could become a global icon and a respected scholar in some of the best universities in the world if not that it has been ‘written’ by the invincible Scriptwriter.
Truly, prophets are not honored in their own land, little wonder Nike Okundaye is not the regular name that most people can easily relate with in here in Nigeria, safe for those who are enthusiastic about art and culture, and those who by virtue of scholastic engagement, have come in contact with the enigmatic woman.
At number 2,Elegushi road, off Lekki-Epe expressway,a gigantic beautiful edifice glees the hearts and glints the eyes of lookers. Although there are arrays of beautiful buildings in this part of Lagos, but Nike Art Gallery strikes its own architectural imposition. The beautiful art gallery belongs to an icon, Chief MrsOyenike Monica Okundaye and she has four of its kind in Nigeria.
Regarded as one of the biggest art gallery in Africa, the five star art gallery is a collection of best of Nigeria and global art works. Since its inauguration in 2009, the gallery has seen thousands of art enthusiasts across the globe patronizing it.
Nike came from a family of craftsmen. Her parents were crafts people from Ogidi in Ijumu Local Government Area, Kogi State. She described her life as an artist has something that she was born with. She started weaving very early in life.
At the age of 6, Nike was exposed to weaving by her grandmother whom she lived with after the death of her mother. She started with weaving different things, including adire, a traditional Yoruba hand-painted cloth design. She was taught how to weave, using a little calabash. Gradually, she graduated to using bigger materials.
Her grandmother was the head of all the weavers in their community. So, even as a little child, she already had a dream that she would own a big studio when she grew up. With the death of her mother, her grandmother, whose responsibility it was to look after her, did not pamper her in any form. She ensured that the virtue of hard work was instilled in Nike’s young, impressionable mind.
As a young teenager with unquenchable thirst for knowledge, Nike moved to Oshogbo, regarded as the hotbed of art in Nigeria, and she joined the Osogbo Art movement where her skill in art and craft was harnessed. She became a groomed artist and luck began to fall on her side when she was invited to participate in an art exhibition at the Goethe Institute in Lagos and since then, her artistic journey took an upward movement. Her works have beenexhibited at major art exhibitions in Europe and America. In the White House, the home of world’s most powerful man, two of Nike’s works grace the wall of that building.
Some of her achievements as obtained from her website are as follow:
1. In 1974, Nike was one of the ten African artists who toured and taught arts in various crafts institutions in the USA. These tours were sponsored by USIS, Lagos. These trips took Nike to the fifty (50) states of America including the ice region of Alaska and the Virgin Islands of America conducting workshops and delivering lectures in schools and community centers.
2. In 1981, Nike’s work won the first prize during the SOUTH WEST ARTS FESTIVAL in Washington DC. USA. And she was awarded many prizes of honor at the end of the festival.
3. In 1983, The Nigeria Arts Council, Lagos sponsored Nike to represent Nigeria at a workshop held at the Museum of Natural History, New York, USA. During which period, her works attracted many arts collectors.
4. In 1985, Nike was one of the six women artists who exhibited at the African Heritage Kenya during the World Women Conference held in Nairobi. The UN sponsored her trip to that conference.
5. In 1986, Nike was the only Nigeria woman who represented Nigeria in an exhibition featuring African women artists held at the African Centre, London. That exhibition was sponsored by AKINA MAMA WA AFRICA, London. In
6. 1989, Nike and Sokari Douglas Camp were the only Nigerian women artists who represented Nigeria in an exhibition held at the women museum in Washington DC. USA.
7. In 1991, USIA sponsored Nike’s educational visits to many institutions of higher learning and museums in USA. This trip again took Nike to; Washington DC to deliver lectures and conduct workshops at the Howard University, the University of Maryland and the Rhode Island School of Textile.
8. In 1991, Nike and Sokari Douglas Camp co-featured as the only Nigerian women artists in a film “KINDRED SPIRITS” produced by Smith Sonia on Nigerian artists which was a television documentary in USA and Canada.
9. In 1991, during a conference of Black Artists held in Toronto Canada to celebrate African identity, Nike was sponsored by the CUSO of Canada to that conference as the only Nigerian artist who exhibited her art works and held workshops at that conference.
10. In 1992, Nike was the only African who represented the continent of Africa in an exhibition organized by BMW Company, Munich Germany during their anniversary celebration. Nike was accompanied by her cultural troupe to the show.
11. In 1994, during the celebration marking the 50th anniversary of the UN, Nike was one of the 50 world artists selected to exhibit their works in a film; a documentary in-put for the anniversary that was exhibited in South African.
12. In November 1994, Nike exhibited her art works at the Royal York Hotel, Toronto Canada during the 37th annual conference of the African Studies Association of USA and Canada.
13. In 1995, Nike was one of the ten (10) African artists who had exhibition at the African Heritage in Nairobi, Kenya.
14. In 1996, Nike held an exhibition at the University Of Tampa Florida, USA. The exhibition was followed by series of lectures and workshops she conducted at the department of fine art of the University.
15. In 1997, Nike held an exhibition at the prestigious ‘Schobgarten Galleria’ in SCHOBGARTEN, Germany.
16. In 1998, Nike held an exhibition at the University of Wisconsin, USA. This exhibition was followed by series of lectures she delivered at the department of African studies of the University.
17. Also in 1998, Nike went with her cultural troupe to Antwerp, Belgium to perform at the Wereld Cultural Center in Antwerp.
18. In 1999, Nike held an exhibition at Northern Michigan University, USA. The exhibition was followed by series of lectures and workshops she conducted at the department of humanity of the University.
19. In 2000, Nike was invited by the Federal Government of Nigeria to supply all the textile materials, which she designed for the Nigerian pavilion at the Expo 2000 in Hanover, German. Her art works were also on display during that Expo 2000 in Hanover, Germany.
20. In June 2000, Nike was invited to Italy by the CISV of Italy and Caritas of Italy to organize art exhibitions and art workshops in Turin to address the problem of female prostitution in that country. She mounted these art exhibitions and art workshops, which was largely attended.
21. In October 2000, Nike was invited with her cultural troupe by the Nigerian Ambassador to Netherlands to perform at the Hurge in celebration of the Nigerian 40th independence anniversary.
22. In 2001, Nike went with her cultural group to Antwerp, Belgium to perform at the Wereld Cultural Center in Antwerp.
23. In 2001, Nike held an exhibition at the Pan African Film Festival (PAFF) in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California. USA.
24. In 2002, Nike was again invited to Hollywood for an art exhibition during Pan African Film and Art Festival (PAFF).
25. IN 2002, Nike was in Denison University, Granville Ohio. USA for an art workshop and lecture.
26. In 2002, Nike was in Bowling Green State University, Toledo Ohio, USA to hold art workshops and lectures.
27. In June 2002 Nike was invited as a special guest artist in resident during the commonwealth festival of art in Manchester, UK.
28. In July 2002, Nike had exhibitions of her works in Ausgburg, Germany during the La Piassa art festival.
29. In August 2002, Nike was in Calgary, Canada for exhibitions during the “Afrikadey” annual festival.
30. In November 2002, Nike was at the Dartmouth University, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA as artist in resident, holding exhibitions, art workshops and lectures at the department of humanity of the University.
31. In December 2002, Nike attends the annual meeting of the African Studies Association of USA and Canada which holds in Washington DC. As a long time member of this association, her art works were also on view during the conference.
32. In February 2003, Nike was a special guest artist in resident at the Pan African Film and Art Festival in Los Angeles USA where she awarded certificate of honor by the County of Los Angeles, California, USA.
33. In September 2003, Nike was invited by Belgium government with her cultural troupe to perform amongst other cultural troupes from other 40 African countries at Antwerp cultural centre.
34. In February 2004, Nike was artist in resident at the University of California, Berkeley, USA.
35. In July 2004, Nike artist in resident at the International Folk Art Festival at Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA. The festival was sponsored by the Museum of New Mexico Art Foundation.
36. In October 2004, Nike was appointed a member of the UNESCO Committee of the Nigerian Intangible Cultural Heritage Project.
37. In May 2005, Nike was a guest artist in resident at the African Art Festival in Wurzburg, Germany.
38. In June 2005, Nike was in Graz, Austria with her cultural troupe to perform and show case Nigerian art at Maria Moser Centre.
39. In May 2006, Nike was appointed a board member of the Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria Tourism Board at Abuja, Nigeria.
40. In January 2007, the government of United States of America selected Nike and sponsored her trip to Cape Town, South Africa to participate as a facilitator/panelist at the world conference of “Vital Voices Pan-African Leadership Summit & Initiative for Women and Girls”. At that conference, Nike presented a paper “Art, Activism and Women Empowerment” in Nigeria which caught the hearts of her audience at the conference. This paper was posted at her web site for six months from January to July 2007.
41. In March 2007, Nike was invited by the University of South Florida, Tampa to conduct workshops and lectures at the department of women studies and art history, on batik and traditional African textile (Adire).
42. In April 2007, Nike was invited by Harvard University, Cambridge to conduct workshops and lectures on batik and technique of adire textile processing and African dyeing techniques.
43. In 2008, Nike was invited by University of Alberta, Edmonton Canada to conduct workshops and lectures on African batik and the technique of Adire textile processing and African dyeing methods.
44. In August 2009, Nike was once again invited by the promoters of “Afrikadey” annual festival of Calgary, Canada to exhibit her works and conduct workshops on Adire processing during the six days festival.
