How Nigeria’s queen of the arts, Nike Okundaye attained global recognition without formal education

The name ‘Nike Okundaye’ might not sound familiar to the average Nigerian on the streets but the name sure rings a bell in the ears of former Presidents of United States of America (USA); Bill Clinton, George Bush and other renowned world leaders.

The story of how 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 still remains a mystery to many.

A native of Ogidi village, Ijumu Local Council of Kogi State, young Nike had high dreams about what type of future she wanted for herself.

But her dreams were truncated even before they could take form when she lost her mother at age six. “I was six when my mother died,” she said with a tinge of sadness.

With the blow inflicted on her dreams by her mother’s death, young Nike was taken away to live with her grandmother.

She had her first contact with the world of arts through her grandmother, who at the time, was the leader of cloth weavers in the community.

“I come from a family of craftsmen. My parents were crafts people from Ogidi in Ijumu Local Council of Kogi State. My life as an artist is something that I was born with. I started weaving at the age of six” she said.

“I started with weaving different things, including Adire, a traditional Yoruba hand -painted cloth design and everything that had to do with textile. They taught me how to weave, using a little calabash. Gradually, I graduated to using bigger materials. ”

“My grandmother was the head of all the weavers in our community. So, even as a little child, I already had a dream that I would own a big studio when I grew up. People came from different areas to buy the cloth from her. So, at that time, I already sensed that I might not have the opportunity to go to school. ”

Nike never went to school to study art, the vocation that has brought her to global spotlight.

Vocational training in art was passed down to her by her great-grandmother, the late Madam Ibikunle.

Watching her great-grandmother in the art of Adire textile processing and helping her out, Nike walked up the line to become an expert in Adire making, dyeing, weaving, painting and embroidery.

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 been exhibited 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.

Among Nike’s proudest achievements was her invitation to Italy by the Italian government in 2000 to train young Nigerian sex workers on how to use their hands to engage in creative ventures. Her invitation was as a result of complaints to the Italian government by the young Nigerians that they left Nigeria in search of work, not knowing what they would be forced into. When Nike got to Italy, she taught them skills in craft making and many of the women became self- reliant in no time and stopped their old means of income.

In 2006, she was awarded one of the highest Italian national awards of merit by the government of the Republic of Italy in appreciation of her efforts in using art to address and solve the problems of Nigerian sex workers in Italy.

About two years ago, her Adire painting was accepted at The Smithsonian, the world’ s largest museum, located in Washington DC, US. Some of her works can be found amongst the collection of prominent personalities around the world, including the White House.

According to Nike, these two incidents were some of the best things to have happened to her.

“When President Bill Clinton of the US visited Nigeria, he asked to meet the woman behind Nike Gallery, and I was taken to Abuja to meet him. It was the same thing with President George Bush. I was invited to meet him in Abuja during his visit to Nigeria. I was the one that decorated the room where the president stayed during the visit. What honour can be greater than this? I feel accomplished” She added.

As an accomplished artist, Nike has taught in several universities in the US, imparting the knowledge of her traditional Adire designs in thousands of eager students from across the world. Her teaching exploits, she disclosed, have taken her to revered institutions like Harvard and Edmonton in Canada.

“I have lectured and held workshops in several noble institutions across the world. Some of the universities include Harvard, Columbus, Edmonton, Ohio and in Los Angeles, among others.

My first experience with teaching was in 1974. At that time, I taught people with doctoral degrees.”

“The type of education I had at the time was the education that is passed from parents to their children, not the education you get in a classroom. It was the practical type of education,” she said with a wry smile.

In 1983, she established the Nike Centre for Art and Culture in Osogbo, Osun State, where trainings are offered free of charge to Nigerians in various forms of arts. The centre was opened with 20 young girls who were picked from the streets and offered a new life in arts. So far, according to her, more than 3,000 young Nigerians have been trained at the centre.

The centre also admits undergraduate students from many universities in Nigeria for their industrial training programmes in textile design. The centre now admits students from Europe, Canada and the United States of America. International scholars and other researchers in traditional African art and culture also visit the centre from time to time for their research works on the processing of Adire fabric and African traditional dyeing methods.

“The gallery you see today actually started in my bedroom in 1968. In 2008, we opened the one in Lagos, and my husband was always the motivator. It was intended to give the young and old a platform to hear their voice.”

“You can imagine, I was discussing with one big man the other day and he said that my wife would have been made a minister if she was educated. I was angry and I asked him what he meant by that. Here is a woman who teaches people with doctoral degrees in higher institutions all over the world, yet you say she is not educated. But when the chips are down, they come to her for advice” Mr. Reuben Okundaye said.

In spite of her seeming low education, she insists she has no regrets about not attending school. “I have no regrets at all. I give thanks to God for making all these things possible for me. I also thank my husband for standing by me all these years. I must confess that it was not easy coming this far. You will agree with me that for a woman to be recognised, she has to work three times harder than a man.”

Her most treasured clothes, she confessed, are Adire fabrics. And it is not surprising that she cannot remember the last time she wore anything other than that.

“You may be right if you say I have created an identity for myself with my Adire clothes. It is the only thing that I am known with. I don’t wear any other clothes, even when I travel out of the country,” she said.

While it is true that the average Nigerian today has myriads of challenges confronting them, however, a lot can be learnt from the modest, diligent and focused lifestyle of Nike who surpassed all odds against her to become a leading ambassador of Nigeria globally.

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.

 

43. 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.