A star-studded arts community convergence in Lagos, in appreciation of Dr. Kolade Oshinowo’s “Visual Arts Trajectories: Kolade Oshinowo At 70” pronounced the relevance of selfless mentorships, timeless artistic engagements and mastered impartations.

For a man quite often referenced as a teacher of teachers, the remarkable radiance of masters who showed up in support reinforced preceding accolades as due praise. Oshinowo indeed lived up to his name to critical acclaim.

A book was launched at the event in honour of Oshinowo and was authored by over 30 scholars, academics, critics, proteges and artists. It was unveiled in a grandiose exhibition event in appreciation of his symbol of excellence in studio and academic practices.

The book: “Visual Arts Trajectories: Kolade Oshinowo At 70”, was unveiled December 13, 2023 at the Yusuf Grillo Auditorium of the School of Art, Design and Printing of the Yaba College of Technology. An exhibition of portraits of the arts icon followed.

The book is an academic product of resource persons from high institutions of learning from around the world, encapsulating various writings and images of Dr. Kolade Oshinowo’s art trajectories spanning over 50 years.

The book although involves several authors, it was edited by Dr. Kunle Adeyemi of Yabatech and Olusola Ogunfuwa of the University of Lagos. Project Coordinator of the Kolade Oshinowo @70 Planning Committee and Director of Internal Quality Assurance (IQA) Department for Yaba College of Technology (Yabatech), Dr. Kunle Adeyemi said:

“I can assure you this is the first time a book of this nature and magnitude is coming out from this system, the academic tour and as well as the Nigerian arts landscape. Most of all we’ve been having are possibly things we can describe as photo books or maybe coffee table books.

“This is something that is deeper than that. It is scholarly; it is academic. Anything concerning the Nigerian art as it pertains to Kolade Oshinowo’s trajectory will be found in this book and that is what we have actually done in bringing it together,” Adeyemi noted.

Culture advocate, archivist, art critic and seasoned journalist, Jahman Anikulapo, described the brand of Oshinowo as masterful. He noted that though it took five years to present the book, I only highlighted the wholeness of effort put into its production.

Oshinowo is more than a teacher and mentor, Jahman Anikulapo said. He described Oshinowo as more than an academic artist but also a father and inspiration to many in the industry.

Senior lawyer and arts patron, Chief Ajibola Aribisala (SAN), who flew in from the United Kingdom for the event to support his ‘gossip mate’, Oshinowo, in his creative wit praised the outstanding nature of Oshinowo.

He recalled how they would both gossip during service at RCCG Ebute Metta. “He would sit next to me on my right. The gossip I’m talking about is not the usual gossip of women. We talk about everything that has to do with Nigeria, the news…we talk about it while the service goes on. And that is the world of art. We are very concerned with immediate happenings.”

He said while he highly reckoned with art, especially visual art, he chose another form in Law. He however encouraged and supported his youngest daughter, Sope, to study arts. Now, she own an arts gallery in the UK.

Aribisala said his interest in the arts could though still be comprehended with a visit to his home, filled with what he called ‘advanced artworks’. He said the level art has been taken to in the other civilized world, compared to how visual arts is being practiced in this part of the world, Nigerian Artists need to shape up and step up their game including in the areas of visual arts finishings and framing.

Visual Arts Conversationalist, Edosa Ogiugo, agreed that the Visual Trajectories of Dr. Oshinowo, as a legacy master piece would with it academic substance impact on future generations. He described the life of Oshinowo as most inspiring and a shining example to people to that: “whatever we do now, we would leave behind”.

The publication is the product of a well subscribed and publicised conference in honour of Oshinowo at 70 years. This was during Adeyemi’s tenure as Dean of School of Design and Printing Technology in 2018. The conference attracted scholars from the university and polytechnic systems, colleges of education, and other stakeholders, including galleries, art enthusiasts and patrons of art from different parts of the country including Zaria, Port Harcourt, Enugu, Ibadan, Lagos and the Diaspora.

The two-week long 2018 event also featured the Committee For Relevant Art (CORA) Stampede and a portrait show of Kolade Oshinowo featuring emerging and made artists. These portraits will be exhibited on Wednesday December 13, 2023.

After a five-year production effort and processes including reviews by assessors, editors, and scholars, the publication, far from being just another coffee table book, is a memorabilia, a scholarly collective and a potential curriculum of art in higher education.

According to the project lead, Adeyemi, the morphological determinants of the works of Oshinowo rests on the exploration of materials for creative solutions. He’s an artist who has explored works of art in the research sense of it beyond painting and drawing.

The book is therefore talking about a researcher and a production person encouraging development as reflective in his artistic progression and expression as in collages, appliques and montages, etcetera. Dr. Adeyemi said most of Oshinowo’s methods are not strange aesthetic methods but his unique applications and approach evoke his impact for outstanding placement and aura of transcendence.

Chief Executive of Alet Inspirationz Prints, publishers of the book, Tunde Aleilo, said during his interaction with the man whom he described as his teacher’s teacher, when he was working on content for the publication, recalled Dr. Oshinowo said something that fascinated him:

“He said that he’s really happy about the books because long after we are all gone, the book would still be there. So I’m happy that through this book, in my own little way, you know, as an artist who is involved in printing, that I’m able to be a part of this issue. By generations after us we’ll be able to read about what this man who I call as master of masters has done, because what Oshinowo has achieved on the global on the contemporary art landscape, both locally and globally, cannot be overemphasised,” Aleilo said.

Some of the authors in the book include, Professor Rom Kalilu of the Ladoke Akintola University; Professor Krydz Ikwuemesi of the University of Nigeria; Professor Philip Gushem of the Ahmadu Bello University and Professor Jerry Buhari, also of the Ahmadu Bello University, Professor Kunle Filani; Engr. Yemisi Shyllon; Prof. Bruce Onobrakpeya; Abimbola Ademola Banjoko, Baale of Ogbogbo, Ijebu, Ogun State and Tajudeen Sowole.

Oshinowo, even as one of the most prized offerings from Yabatech, especially during his prime, has nurtured so many artists, through education. Having been an artist classified in the light of several conflicting columns, including an artist as a realist, expressionist, abstract, and conceptual, the true niche in the structure of his works in art is explained through the book in a demystification effort of appreciation and note.

As an art teacher and administrator at YABATECH Lagos, Oshinowo was well known for raising the standard in managing the institution’s School of Art, Design and Printing (SADP). Also, his prolificity in producing timeless paintings despite the challenge of his commitment to the academia has found a space in Nigerian art documentation. He retired from the academia in 2008 as
Chief Lecturer, SADP. Oshinowo is a recipient of Nigeria’s National Productivity Order of Merit (NPOM) award.

Between 2008 – after his retirement from the academia – till date, Oshinowo has found a broader scope of artistic expression. He has shown his works at solo exhibitions nearly every two years, as well as participated in quite a number of group shows, home and abroad. For example, he showed Silhouette at Nike Art Centre, Lekki, in 2012, Changing Times at Terra Kulture, Victoria Island, in 2016 as well as several group exhibitions organised by the Guild of Professional Fine Artists of Nigeria (GFA) in London and Lagos.