Celebrating Kolade Oshinowo at 70,

As one of Nigeria’s leading artists, Kolade Oshinowo joins the septuagenarians on February 6, he recounts the life-changing experiences that had made his difficult journey into art unforgettable. Yinka Olatunbosun reports

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Had Kolade Oshinowo obeyed his father years back, the visual arts community wouldn’t be celebrating him by now. To his father, the conservative type, only three professions existed. Medicine, engineering and, perhaps, law. Anything outside of these three courses was not to be taken seriously.

Hence, the elder Oshinowo thought his son insane for choosing to study art – of all things! “But this is what I wanted to do,” he said. “He moved me from one school to another. But he made a big mistake. There was a big art studio in the new school. It was a fantastic art school and I didn’t even expect it. My art flourished.’’

In the new school, the art teacher was very close to young Oshinowo in whom he saw an unusual talent. Thus, he would ask the latter to teach his classmates whenever he was busy.“I was nicknamed his son. He is one of the people I owe my art skill to. He would make sure I enrolled in several art competitions, even international competitions.”

Years flitted by. Oshinowo, as a bank clerk, was in the habit of sketching customers. “I didn’t know that the manager was watching me. One day, he saw all my drawings in my drawer. Everyone knew I was in trouble.’’

He was summoned to the manager’s office immediately. The question that came from the manager was quite unexpected. “‘What will you like to become?’ he had asked me. I was tongue-tied. In response I said I was preparing for AIB. But he wasn’t impressed. So, I said ICAN. Then, he leaned forward and said, ‘I will ask you one more time. What will you like to become?’ I confessed and said, art. That manager’s name was Mr Banjoko. He allowed me to sit on his shoulder to see ahead.”

But, choosing home back home meant trouble. One thing led to another and soon his father sent him out of the house. This was the time he was seeking admission into Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria and was only about 18 years old. Others, who sought admission into the university, came with huge canvasses and he only had some drawings in his portfolio. “But when I came for the interview, they asked me, ‘Who will pay for your school fees?’ I knew by that question that I had gained admission.’’

After his father sent him out of his house, his sister not only kept encouraging him, but also gave him the courage and support.
Hence, for the former Society of Nigerian Artists president, it is hard to separate his life and the art. His works celebrate women not as victims but as strong, confident and beautiful. Perhaps, his life experience has a bearing on this world-view of women. Even at 70, there’s no stopping Oshinowo.

From February 6 till April 6, the Lagos art community will be abuzz with activities marking the 70th birthday of this Nigeria’s prolific painter and a very influential art educator. He has held numerous solo exhibitions and participated in over 60 group exhibitions. Little wonder his renown in the art circles earned him a place in the syllabi and textbooks of many Nigerian schools.
That feeling of déjà vu would assail anyone meeting him for the first time. Yet, this is a man that doesn’t grant interviews that easily. Before a gathering at the Yusuf Grillo Art Gallery of the Yaba College of Technology, Lagos, Oshinowo reeled out plans for his landmark birthday celebration.

This was his home for decades as an art lecturer beginning in 1973. He was only 25 years old when the legendary Yusuf Grillo invited him to join the Yaba College of Technology Art school. Before then, Oshinowo taught at King’s College, Lagos. It was an easy move for Oshinowo because most students of art usually dropped the subject before writing the Higher School Certificate Examination and that was heartbreaking for the young teacher who was so passionate about art.

“An artist doesn’t retire,” he said. “Once you are still walking, you should paint. I have the whole day to myself. It’s just that some people want to make sure that you don’t have time for yourself by putting you in one committee or another. There are so many ideas disturbing my brain. Sometimes, when I go to functions, I’d be lost in thought. It’s worse when I am reluctant to attend an Owambe [party].”

“Some artists just have something to say through the art and they have to do it before the sun sets on them,’’ he added.
Looking back at the basic skill of drawing that is fundamental to the work of a visual artist, Oshinowo thinks that drawing has been relegated. As a lecturer, he recalled that drawing was one of the tests that a prospective student of art had to pass before admission. But before his retirement, the narrative was changing. “I was observing some funny, unacceptable traits in students. They would snap what a lecturer sketches and go to the room and download. That object-to-eye contact experience has been lost. Students should understudy the likes of Yusuf Grillo, Olu Ajayi, Segun Adejumo who are trying to encourage drawing as a skill. I think I will give prize for drawing.”

He recalled a moment in his career as a lecturer at the Yaba College of Technology when he was going to resign his appointment because the Rector had a plan to change the mode of operation for admitting art students. Their test was to be computerised. Oshinowo thought that would kill the true nature of an artist’s creativity.

Meanwhile, Oshinowo emphasised the need for an artist to keep a good catalogue of his works, adding that the catalogue is as important as the works they document. On the average, Oshinowo exhibits no fewer than 50 works in his solo exhibitions and he never carries over works into another exhibition.

Before his father died, he acknowledged his son’s talent, albeit unwittingly, being an eyewitness to the accolades and honours that the art community had conferred on him. “This work of yours, I think there is something in it,” the old man had told his son before he breathed his last.

“Before he died, he regretted what he had done to me,’’ Oshinowo said.
Yet, not even his passion for the visual arts stopped him from allowing his children to choose their own career paths. For instance, his daughter Tosin Oshinowo, an architect, is the brain behind the architectural design of the Maryland Shopping Mall and one of the architects on the planned Fourth Mainland Bridge, Lagos.

In celebrating Oshinowo at 70, the Chairman of the Organising Committee, Dr. Kunle Adeyemi had revealed that the two-month long event will kickstart with a three-day training workshop at the Women and Youth Art Foundation organised by Prof. Peju Layiwola. In addition, a special drawing session organized by Olu Ajayi who is the founder of the Living Legend series will be held in honour of Oshinowo.

Titled, Living Legend: A Tribute to Kolade Oshinowo, the show will attract artists and art enthusiasts as the live painting of the legend would be executed by select artists. There will be a series of paper presentations and talk sessions on Oshinowo and an exhibition titled, Oshinowo: Life Before an Artist at the Yusuf Grillo Art Gallery, Yaba.

Members of the planning committee for Oshinowo at 70 include President, Society of Nigerian Artists (SNA), Oliver Enwonwu; Chairman, SNA Lagos, Dotun Alabi; Dr. Ademola Azeez and Bunmi Davies.