ABIODUN OLAKU
"The Passage" - Oil
"Oke Igbala" - Oil
"In his Glory" - Oil
About Abiodun Olaku
Abiodun Olaku’s talent can be traced back to his early days in Baptist Academy, Lagos, between 1970 and 1975. He rode on the back of the school’s tradition which encouraged art and craft through a sustained retinue of qualified, committed and motivating teachers in that segment of the educational curriculum. This, undoubtedly, left an indelible impression on his psyche. It was therefore without any hesitation that he grabbed the opportunity to study art at the next level of his educational pursuits.
Described by his lecturer, mentor and inspiration, world-renowned Nigerian Grand-master artist, Professor Yusuf Grillo, as “Primus inter pares”, ABIODUN OLAKU has slowly but steadily transformed, through a 35-year artistic sojourn, into a master artist in his own right. Indeed, he has become an irresistible premium brand in the African art market and milieu, with an ever-growing frenzied following.
The solid foundation for this remarkably glorious, creative odyssey was laid in Nigeria’s foremost art institution, Yaba College of Technology, between 1976 and 1981, where Olaku had a comprehensive orientation for his professional life under the watchful guidance of competent and committed lecturers and instructors ably led by living legend, Yussuf Grillo and his lieutenants, namely, late (Soviet-trained sculptor) Isiaka Osunde and iconic Master Kolade Oshinowo. This period primed him thoroughly for overall ability and competence as a painter in focused pursuit of a timeless legacy.
An almost 7-year stint in the civil service between 1982 and 1989, after his NYSC experience, neither hindered nor slowed down his vision of establishing himself as a painter of renown, with a determination to carve an enviable niche for himself in the annals of art history, but only fuelled the dream, because it was a fateful time when he encountered the ‘National Collection’ of the Gallery of Modern Art, where he had temporary experience in public administration under his late boss, Master Painter Shina Yussuff.
Following his resignation in February 1989, Olaku launched a blistering, unbroken campaign of studio practice in company of his fledging colleagues and friends like late Alex Shyngle, Felix Osiemi and Bunmi Babatunde, as well as respected sculptor, Bisi Fakeye, at The National Studios of Modern Art, National Theatre, Iganmu, Lagos.
An indigene of Ogun State, Nigeria, who was born on December 29, 1958, works and lives in Lagos, Nigeria with his family, Abiodun Olaku is a respected member of the Society of Nigeria Artists (SNA); a founding member, inaugural vice-president and trustee of the Guild of Professional Fine Artists of Nigeria (GFA); and one of the founders and trustee of Universal Studios of Art, National Theatre, Lagos. He continues to train, mentor and inspire younger generations of Nigerian Artists, and also consults widely on professional art matters, among other activities.
Olaku is an avid sports enthusiast, with a special interest in soccer and table tennis. He is a passionate fan of Chelsea FC, London.
INSPIRATION
Olaku’s fascination with lights, reflection and elemental situations in nature as well as man’s dynamic romance with his iridescent environment, stimulated by spiritual, religious, social, traditional and cultural activities, continue to fuel his creative oeuvre.
The captivating and stimulating timelessness of the works of great masters worldwide also had a profound impact on his young impressionable mind, and in the process distinctly configured his philosophical orientation and direction as he crystallized into full artistic bloom. A few of the masters whose work have always inspired and propelled his creative instincts include Michelangelo, Leonardo Da Vinci, Rembrandt Van Rijn, Claude Monet, Yusuf Grillo, Ben Enwonwu and Kolade Oshinowo, to name a few.
PHILOSOPHY
“While I am not a compulsive slave to the ‘isms and schisms’ of art, it is of deep passionate concern to me that my art communicates, and stirs the spirit of the viewer, irrespective of time and space, I operate with a strong reliance on the principles, theories, formulae, and spirit that have guaranteed the enduring strength and essence of true, evocative art. I try very hard to tell my ‘stories’ with some reasonably unambiguous conviction. Honesty of purpose always serves me a respectable portion of satisfaction, because I believe that every artist will ultimately submit to the supreme critique of time. Time always tells. Therefore, I tend to be insulated against the various contending forces that trail the contemporary art scene, since I believe they are mostly weak, short-rooted trends.” – Abiodun Olaku
Described by his lecturer, mentor and inspiration, world-renowned Nigerian Grand-master artist, Professor Yusuf Grillo, as “Primus inter pares”, ABIODUN OLAKU has slowly but steadily transformed, through a 35-year artistic sojourn, into a master artist in his own right. Indeed, he has become an irresistible premium brand in the African art market and milieu, with an ever-growing frenzied following.
The solid foundation for this remarkably glorious, creative odyssey was laid in Nigeria’s foremost art institution, Yaba College of Technology, between 1976 and 1981, where Olaku had a comprehensive orientation for his professional life under the watchful guidance of competent and committed lecturers and instructors ably led by living legend, Yussuf Grillo and his lieutenants, namely, late (Soviet-trained sculptor) Isiaka Osunde and iconic Master Kolade Oshinowo. This period primed him thoroughly for overall ability and competence as a painter in focused pursuit of a timeless legacy.
An almost 7-year stint in the civil service between 1982 and 1989, after his NYSC experience, neither hindered nor slowed down his vision of establishing himself as a painter of renown, with a determination to carve an enviable niche for himself in the annals of art history, but only fuelled the dream, because it was a fateful time when he encountered the ‘National Collection’ of the Gallery of Modern Art, where he had temporary experience in public administration under his late boss, Master Painter Shina Yussuff.
Following his resignation in February 1989, Olaku launched a blistering, unbroken campaign of studio practice in company of his fledging colleagues and friends like late Alex Shyngle, Felix Osiemi and Bunmi Babatunde, as well as respected sculptor, Bisi Fakeye, at The National Studios of Modern Art, National Theatre, Iganmu, Lagos.
An indigene of Ogun State, Nigeria, who was born on December 29, 1958, works and lives in Lagos, Nigeria with his family, Abiodun Olaku is a respected member of the Society of Nigeria Artists (SNA); a founding member, inaugural vice-president and trustee of the Guild of Professional Fine Artists of Nigeria (GFA); and one of the founders and trustee of Universal Studios of Art, National Theatre, Lagos. He continues to train, mentor and inspire younger generations of Nigerian Artists, and also consults widely on professional art matters, among other activities.
Olaku is an avid sports enthusiast, with a special interest in soccer and table tennis. He is a passionate fan of Chelsea FC, London.
INSPIRATION
Olaku’s fascination with lights, reflection and elemental situations in nature as well as man’s dynamic romance with his iridescent environment, stimulated by spiritual, religious, social, traditional and cultural activities, continue to fuel his creative oeuvre.
The captivating and stimulating timelessness of the works of great masters worldwide also had a profound impact on his young impressionable mind, and in the process distinctly configured his philosophical orientation and direction as he crystallized into full artistic bloom. A few of the masters whose work have always inspired and propelled his creative instincts include Michelangelo, Leonardo Da Vinci, Rembrandt Van Rijn, Claude Monet, Yusuf Grillo, Ben Enwonwu and Kolade Oshinowo, to name a few.
PHILOSOPHY
“While I am not a compulsive slave to the ‘isms and schisms’ of art, it is of deep passionate concern to me that my art communicates, and stirs the spirit of the viewer, irrespective of time and space, I operate with a strong reliance on the principles, theories, formulae, and spirit that have guaranteed the enduring strength and essence of true, evocative art. I try very hard to tell my ‘stories’ with some reasonably unambiguous conviction. Honesty of purpose always serves me a respectable portion of satisfaction, because I believe that every artist will ultimately submit to the supreme critique of time. Time always tells. Therefore, I tend to be insulated against the various contending forces that trail the contemporary art scene, since I believe they are mostly weak, short-rooted trends.” – Abiodun Olaku
"Ancestral Tracks" - Oil
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"Lunar watch" - Oil
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