THE PLACE OF SUSAN WENGER’S ART IN YORUBA RELIGION: A
PRELIMINARY SURVEY BY
Oyeronke Olajubu
I
The power of art as a viable means of communication in the various sectors of
human endeavors cannot be undermined. Art itself constitutes a rather wide and
versatile field of play where implications far outrun manifestations accessible to
human perception at any given time in other words, a work of art could effectively
communicate different messages in terms of depth and intent to a divers
“audience” at any given period. Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves
at the same time. {1} Art has been defined as “symbolic statements of ideas, using
sensory stimulus to make their presentation.” {2}This definition of art presents
some assumptions that may not enjoy universal acceptance. Identifying symbols as
expressions of art and ideas as the sole source from which such expressions are
sourced could prove problematic. Art may be expressed through the aid of symbols
but is not limited to it neither do ideas constitute the sole source from which
expressions of art emanate. The use of sensory stimulus by people in the
presentation of art is however a valid observation as both verbal and visual art
depends on the senses for human appreciation.
The point of contention among scholars over the century concerning art has been
more on the meaning of art rather than on the definition of art. Divided broadly,
theories on the meaning of art could be classified into three distinct groups. The
humanistic theories, which submit that art, is a statement about humanity or some
aspect of human life; the naturalistic theories which consider art as an intuition of
truth about the natural world; and the transcendent theories, which postulate that
art is a means of conveying an intuition about divinity. {3} Each of these three
theories appears to locate the meaning of art in a sector of the society. None of the
three theories captures the total scope covered by the influence of art: nonetheless
nothing escapes the focus of the theories taken together. The humanistic is
concerned about humans, exclusive of nature and deity. The naturalistic focuses on
nature ignoring the human and deity, whereas the transcendent emphasis the deity
at expense of human and nature. But when taken together, these theories cover
every known aspect of living experiences from which art may emanate and for
which art may serve as an expression.
The meaning ascribed to art could provide paradigms for the consideration of its
functions. Art functions as a tool to maintain a concept of reality by giving form to
the ideas/observations of the individual. These ideas/observations are translated
into concrete forms through art. Also, art preserves and enhances a people’s culture
for it serves as a method of record keeping and makes culture mobile. {4}
Historical records are embedded in forms of art, which serves as a means of
preserving the peoples culture. Another function of art is entertainment, a means of
relieving tension through relaxation. Often times however, there is an overlap
between these functions, hence art could entertain, express a people’s idea of
reality and record their history all at once. What is implausible is for art to fail in
performing at least one of the aforementioned functions at any given time or space.
Art could either be visual or verbal. Visual arts consist of works such as sculptures,
woodcarvings and paintings. While verbal arts are expressed through verbal and
audible senses, they manifest in avenues such as songs, poetry and recitations.
Works of art consist of two elements, the inner and the outer as well as two levels
of knowledge, esoteric and exoteric. {5} The esoteric knowledge level usually
informs the inner element of art through knowledge, which is informed by the
artist’s intended meaning(s) for the work of art. This could be a story that goes
with the work of art, the content of which may consist of private or public
concerns. The knowledge is accessible to a few people, the artist and/or cultic
functionaries in the case of religious art. The outer element of art gives expression
to the inner element and manifest at the exoteric knowledge level for it is
accessible to all. It is expressed in aesthetic values and decorations. The outer
element gives the work of art its visible and audible qualities. Both elements are
significant and affect the performance/presentation of any work of art. My concern
in this paper exhibit the influence of both the inner and outer elements of art in
Yoruba Religion, specifically with the art of Susan Wenger at Osogbo, Osun State,
Nigeria. I intend to explore her sculptures as expressions of Yoruba religion and to
examine the implications of her art for the religion. Because Wenger is a Yoruba
by conversion/calling and not by birth/origin, her art presents some paradigms that
may necessitate negotiations in meanings and this I am persuaded could have far
reaching consequences for Yoruba Religion.
II
A close relationship could be identified between art and religion across history. Art
could serve as a means of expression in religion as well as an object in the process
of worship. Art and religion sometimes exhibit similar features. In addition,
meanings derived from and functions ascribed to both do sometimes overlap. Thus,
the relationship between art and religion could be regarded as being polemic. Art
like religion could be regarded as a means of revelation. Like religion, art recreates by offering a set of symbols of our own being, of community and of the
sacred. Again, like religion art heals and recreates, just as it offers categories for
evaluations in the society. The precinct of the connection between art and religion
seems largely confined to rituals in religion though not exclusively so. Ritual space
provides the avenue for the expressions of art in religion. These would include
verbal arts (recitations, songs, praise and worship) and visual arts (sculptures,
paintings and decorations).
Four categories of relations between religion and visual art have been identified.
One is a style with no ultimate concern and content without religious subject
matter. This could be described as secular art geared towards entertainment and
relive of tension in the society. Two, is art with a religious style and a non religious
subject matter. This category of art would emphasis the divine in any subject
matter seeking to locate the religious in a secular subject. Three, is art with a nonreligious style but a religious subject matter; thus seeking to place and situate a
religious subject in a secular setting. Four is art with both a religious style and a
religious subject matter. {6}This category of art would be concerned
predominantly with the deity, in style and content. African art until recent times
would fall within the fourth category as all subjects of art were processed through
the lenses of religion. African culture was intrinsically woven with African
religion; art was therefore a mediating factor within both religion and culture in
Africa. The predominant bearing of rituals on art in the African milieu becomes
even clearer with the appreciation of the fact that both art and religion were
considered twins of the same transcendental offshoot. Thus for most Africans.
Visible forms were but mirrors of the unutterable myth of earth and heaven
reflecting on each other. If art expresses reality in images and religion expresses
ultimate reality in symbols, then religious art expresses religious symbols in artistic
images. Art as a means within religion could therefore be designated ritualistic art.
If the human mind is to enter into the multidimensional experience, it must
necessarily go through the media of ritual and art i.e. ritualistic art. This is because
art and ritual constitute the bridges over the chasms that split the dimensions of
humanity’s total existence, which has been fissured by pseudo-enlightenment. {7}
A combination of art and ritual remains indispensable to communication between
humans and the divine in Africa. The ritual space is therefore the meeting point for
he finite and art occupies a significant place in this enterprise. Most African art
were ritualistic, some remain so even today and serve as manifestations of African
ideas, philosophy and religion.
III
The Yoruba are more apt to think of art as an act of creative imagination (oju ona)
executed with skill and an understanding of the subject rather than seeing art as an
object. For the Yoruba then, artistry is and exploration and imaginative recreation
ideas and forms, usually from the divine. Art is a vital part of being and creativity
is associated with the divine. This is underscored by the people’s worldview and
cosmic experiences as recorded in oral texts, especially the ifa corpus. A prime
place is therefore accorded to oral traditions in any artistic enterprise among the
people. The interrelationship between art and religion among the Yoruba is
profound and it has been suggested that one could be taken as a pictorial
abstraction of the other. {8} The permeating influence of religion on every sector
of the people’s lives manifest in works of art as naturalistic tendencies. This artistic
naturalism could be taken as not only a matter of form but also of content and as
implying a naturalistic philosophy, which is rooted in the people’s cosmic
experiences.
Moreover, art has always been a relevant component of Yoruba religion and
culture. This is reflected in the various works of art identifiable in the history of the
religion and works of art in the religion today. Such include paintings on walls,
batik designing, pottery, sculptures, songs, dances, poetry, and decorations. Art
was employed to achieve different pursuits in Yoruba religion traversing aesthetics
and functional realities. The beauty of oral poetry renditions is not lost to any keen
observer of Yoruba religion neither can one fail to appreciate the significant yet
aesthetic designs made on traditional adire clothes in Yoruba land.
Art in Yoruba religion often gives credence to individual capabilities and
creativity. Each artist develops his/her style. In addition, certain styles of art could
be classified along regions in Yoruba land due to semblances of stylistic
signatures. Instances of wood carvers who could be identified based on style are
known as well as regional classifications of wood carving due to semblances of
stylistic signatures. {9} The same is true of the verbal arts where tonal variations
often exist from region to region in Yoruba land. {10} Flourishing in the Yoruba
religious space are arts of various styles and forms, which often exhibit a strong
link with rituals and mythology. Examples include, hunters who recite oral poetry
regularly as part of their vocation; women who design the traditional adire cloth;
women who paint and design places of cultic worships; sculptors who make
sculptural images for deities and wood carvers who produce relevant images in the
religious space. Furthermore, art functions as a means of communication in Yoruba
religion. The visual and verbal arts serve as means through which tenets, practices
and injunctions of the religion are proclaimed and appreciated.
IV
Wenger was born eighty-five years ago in Graz, Austria. She arrived Nigeria in
1950 and this marked the beginning of her involvement with Yoruba religion. Prior
to this however, she has always been strongly attracted by nature especially the
divine nature of trees. {11} She solitude in nature while growing up and this has
remained an indispensable source of energy for her till date.
According to Wenger, “the life of an artist is beyond time, devoted to one single
and complex work into which every change simply brings rebirth in the same circle
of being.”{12} Her training in Europe and involvement in religious art among the
Yoruba confirm this submission of hers. Every change in her location, experience
and production of art has simply brought rebirth unto her and those who encounter
her in Yoruba religion. Before coming to Nigeria she had exhibited her works in
Paris, Zurich, Austria and other parts of Europe. Most of her artistic efforts before
arriving Nigeria in 1950 were paintings done on canvas. Because she is interested
in the primary concern of all religions to effect communication between the divine
and humans, it was not out of place for her to fit in so naturally into Yoruba
religion. Ajagemo, a high priest of Obatala, introduced her to Orisa religion in Ede
and it was it Ede that she began her artistic works for the gods. The first of such
works was the reconstruction of the soponna cult at Ede and subsequently the
renovations of the shrines of other gods in the osun grooves at Osogbo. {13} Her
main work over the years has been the constant reconstruction, renovation and
preservation of the shrines and grooves in the Osun Osogbo grooves. She has
produced works of art that protects the grooves from intrusion and decay.
Examples include sculptured walls and added strikingly eclectic structures, which
are as tall as trees in the groove. For her, art cannot be disconnected from its
religious functions because creativity is part of ritual life. The fusion of art and
religion is at the core of Wenger’s art and the singular purpose of her work is to
protect the sacredness of nature. Her works present to us a mixture of architecture
and sculpture. The shrines of the gods are for them a ceremonial home while the
sculptures embody their myths. Embedded in these myths are characteristics and
taboos of each god. Wenger seeks to reflect these features as much as possible in
her sculptures of and for the gods. As an artist involved in the production of
ritualistic art, she lives intensely in the “archaic continuous dimension of being.”
{14} Wenger has been differently described in various sectors at diverse periods.
While some her as an artist utilizing her abilities toward a laudable goal, others
view her with suspicion and scorn. For some she remains a suspect for it is out of
the ordinary and normal course of events for a white lady (oyinbo) to live like she
does. Her mode of living is like that of any adherent of Yoruba religion with little
attention given to luxury. Yet in other quarters she is regarded as a profound and
troubling enigma, full of apparent contradictions. These contradictions are often
regarded as products of her double citizenship, Yoruba (Adunni) and Austrian
(Susanne). Implications arising from such contradictions also point to issued of
identity as well as the dialectic interplay of tradition and modernity. It seems
beyond dispute that in Wenger a mesh of tradition and modernity is to be found.
Her identity as a Yoruba/Austrian artist employing a modernist mode of art
construction for reinventions in Yoruba tradition and religion postulates a
negotiation between tradition and modernity. Moreover her art for the deities of
Yoruba land are conveyors of a transmission that is neither traditional nor modern.
Hence there is a seeming correspondence between her personal identity and the
identities emanating from her works of art, both being recreations that are neither
old nor new but unique in essence. Whatever stand one takes on the personality of
Wenger, one thing remains indisputable; this is her sincerity and commitment over
the years in the Yoruba religious space. This is clearly illustrated in her works for
the gods and her unreserved involvement with the religion and it’s operatives.
V
Her Works: Background Information
Symbolic decorations of the sanctuaries of the gods/goddesses and places of
worship are a normal practice in Yoruba religion. These symbolic decorations are
done on doors, doorposts and often times the walls of the sanctuaries. In addition
to this, emblems were predominantly employed as representations of the
gods/goddesses being accorded worship. For example Osun’s (the goddess of the
osun river) emblems include small pots for fetching water (oru), brass (ide), and
beads (ileke); for ifa (the divinity in charge of wisdom), the divination tray (opon
ifa) is adorned with emblems, such as the face of Esu,
The site where Wenger carries in her work of art is the Osun groove. This seems to
suggest conformity with the Yoruba belief that the forest is the abode of spirits and
the supernatural beings as opposed to the town where social and economic
concerns prevail. {15} The Yoruba belief on the forest/groove as the abode of
spirits is reinforced by notions of secrecy, which assumes knowledge, and by
implication power. Often referred to as Igbo Imole, only initiates (awo) have
access to such forests while the non-initiates (ogberi) are excluded. A vivid portrait
of this Yoruba belief is utilized in D.O. Fagunwa’s novel titled “Igbo Irunmole”
(Forest of a Thousand Spirits). This Yoruba belief is also recorded in oral text such
as this:
Igbo ma ya ‘tun
Ma ya ‘si
Ki o ma ba kigbo
Ebora ke bora {16}
The forest of don’t turn right
don’t turn left
so you will not be harmed
by the spirits.
Some scholars of Yoruba Studies to whom I spoke during the course of this paper
submit that these weird spirits in Yoruba belief could have informed Wenger’s
sculptures in the Osun groove. They contend further, that though her work is
grounded in Yoruba myths, such myths do not belong to the main stream of
Yoruba mythology. As a consequence of this, stories depicted in her paintings and
sculptures are uncommon. They hinge their argument on the fact that Susanne’s
use of sculptural forms in Yoruba religion is a contemporary development in and
its interpretations are limited to a small number of people because of the obscurity
of the foundational myths on which they are based. This they explain with a
Yoruba saying:
Ko s’eni mo
Ede ayan bi eni
Ti o mu popa
e lowo {17}
there is none who knows
the language of the drummer
like the one who holds the
stick used in beating the drum.
They argue further that her art is better likened to that of an oral poet, which
changes with each performance.
The main features of Wenger’s sculptures are life size of larger figures and bulging
eyes. Both features are known characteristics of Yoruba art, in the pre-colonial
times and presently. According to W.Fagg (1970) “Nok and Ife art are alone in
Africa in having produced near life size human figures in pottery.” {18} Hence, it
would not be accurate to suggest that the presence of life size figures in Wenger’s
art is at variance with Yoruba art. In addition, Babatunde Lawal, (1970) postulates
that bulging eyes are signs of spiritual power in mythology and religious
experiences depicting a higher consciousness. He confirms that bulging eyes
appear in traditional Yoruba sculptures. {19} It would seem that the prevailing
feature of Wenger’s art align with traditional Yoruba art. Nonetheless, the
submission by these scholars that only the artist could offer a precise interpretation
of any work of art remains valid. Moreover, Wenger’s art exhibit other features
apart from those that would be found in traditional Yoruba art. Her figures are
usually larger than human figures neither do they depict human features. The
nearest explanation from Yoruba belief system would have to be that her arts refer
to a class of spirits referred to as “iwin” (frightening spirits). Susan however insists
that her sculptures are products of meditation and germinate into forms, which are
not pre determined. (20) She maintains that these sculptures are representations of
deities and records of mythology but not presentations of “iwin”. Since the artist
has the privilege of providing the precise interpretation of her/his work in Yoruba
belief, her explanation would have to remain.
Sculptures
Wenger’s interest in sculpture pre-dates her visit to Nigeria in 1950. She did
sculptured pots in the school of art where she trained in Graz, Austria. Her interest
in sculpture arose alongside her impatience with the stiffness of the canvass, which
somehow offended life’s naturally flowing spirituality. Sculptures by Wenger in
Nigeria began as shrine repair efforts in Yoruba religion. Many of these sculptures
and architectural works can be found in Osun grooves depicting various myths
about different gods/goddesses in an aesthetic manner. Her sculptures within the
Osun grooves deserve our special attention.
Her first cement sculpture was not done within the precinct of the Osun grove; it
was done at Ede. This was the new shrine of Obaluaye, known as “Idi Baba” (At
the feet of the Father). In response to the cry of help from the priests of the sacred
Osun River, Wenger left Ede and began her sculptural and architectural work in
the osun groove at Osogbo. It is pertinent to state at this juncture that she works
sometimes with assistants in the restoration of these shrines within the groove.
Most of these assistants are artists and adherents of Yoruba religion. {21} Together
with Wenger they started the new sacred art which is modern art in the ritual
service of Yoruba religion and philosophy. Though these artists are traditionally
cultured men and women with no exposure to exhibitions or books of art from
overseas, their art like the gods/goddesses are alive to the circumstances of the
present time.
Some of the sculptures produced by Wenger and her assistants in the osun grove at
Osogbo include:
(1) Ontotoo
Ontotoo means Onto, or totofun, which refers to a kind of frog and a respectful
greeting to the deities. Before the Yoruba immigration, ontotoo was the goddess of
the original inhabitants and represented her person in the trinity of Earth, Air and
water. She is presently on of the tutelary internal guardian deities in the palaces of
the Oono (the king of Ile-Ife) and the Ataoja (the king of Osogbo). In the Ogboni
cult, she is a very senior deity in the heavenly abode (orun) and with the Iya mi in
her entourage she represents the paradox in the sacred psychoid of Oro. She is
known in Osogbo as the protector of the para-human inhabitants (Oro) in
traditional population. But in many Yoruba towns she is not publicly known.
Curses change to prayers and prayers to curses in the vicinity of her shrine. This
explains why devotees going to river Osun or the farm but passing through the
vicinity of her shrine must not nurse their babies nor soothe the weeping child.
These value reversions on behalf of this powerful goddess, hint at her implicit
importance.
Wenger’s sculpture for this goddess is overwhelmingly concerned with the Iledi
Ogboni, which is approached through gates with totemic posts, carved of wood
showing different figures. Common to the figures are bulging eyes, which is
symbolic of realities within an archaic but continuous perspective. The sculptured
walls enclose conical shaped entrances on both sides, which conveys to one a
feeling of rapture and mystery. At the entrance three roofs representing archaic
kinds of lizards associated with the ideology of primordial ancestry is to be found.
Pillars that are actually the robust legs of the elephant representing Obatala’s
animal aspect support the entrance. The inner sanctuary of the Ogboni shrine
portrays vividly the fecundities of the earth goddess as Susanne depicts this in form
of a womb with inbuilt seats.
(2)
Obatala
Obatala is the god of purity representing the ethical dimensions of reality hence he
is called the god of whiteness; white here being the summation of all colors in
light. It was to Obatala that Olodumare, the Supreme Being delegated the duty of
forming the solid earth and the physical features of human beings as is reflected in
some Yoruba cosmic myths. The Obatala shrine is made up of conically shaped
huts on the walls of which are symbolic representations. Such include bulging
eyes, spiral vegetative forms and interwoven forms. Natural vegetation could be
seen clinging to the shrine while monkeys, birds and other animals visit at their
pleasure. A three meters high sculpture of Obatala in an atonement posture is to be
found in the shrine. His bulging eyes signify knowledge, wisdom and creativity.
The shrine also accommodates the egbe cult room made up of vegetation forms
presented as arch curves over an open tray like area where offerings are made. The
egbe phenomenon is to be closely linked with the Abiku syndrome i.e. born to die
children who are strongly attached to their otherworldly playmates.
(3)
Iya Moopo
This goddess is in her domestic role the protector of all women’s crafts and trade,
but she is a potter woman. Her ancient image is an edon (sacred bronze casting)
where she holds one child clinging to her breast upright, and the other strapped to
her back with his/her head downward, feet pointing up. She also represents the
ancient trinity of the female. Areas under her jurisdiction also include childbearing
and care. For this goddess who manifest different dimensions of reality all in
unison has been produced a sculpture called Ebu Iya Moopo. Ebu Iya Moopo is
really a shrine, which houses the magically potent symbols of the goddess. The
sculpture comprises of delicate forms and outlines, depicting the mystical virginity
of the goddess, which remains unsolved. There is an inner room inside her matrix
with the form of a snail shell, and a stair leads upward in a spiral. We find a pair of
birds sitting on her bosom and hanging head down on her back. The sculpture has
three pairs of slender outstretched arms, the first, to receive, the second, to give out
sacred fecundates and the third, is the Ogboni fist-over-fist-symbol gesture
implying sacred togetherness. {22} Noticeable on the sculpture are three bulging
eyes placed on a bird like figure presented in a ready to fly state. On the backside
of this large sculpture is a curved arm reaching into the ground like a tentacle,
which may symbolize nourishment and stability all linked to the earth and by
implication the ogboni, which is the earth cult. At the base of the sculpture are
wave like patterns that could be likened to the river movements, hence a link to
Osun. There are other alters on the sacred pottery – field. One of which is
consecrated to Ela who is Ifa’s sacred principal of clairvoyance in his pubescent
phase. The sculpture of Iya Moopo by Susanne could be described as an
embodiment of myths and identities.
Documentation, preservation and the proclamation of Yoruba religion are strongly
embedded in her sculptures of/for the gods/goddesses, and this necessarily
expounds the honor and reverence due to these deities. The result of this is a daily
“aliveness” of the religion among its adherents who are Yoruba, other Nigerians,
and Non Nigerians. It has been possible due to this “aliveness” of Yoruba religion
to hand over the religion to coming generations despite their exposure to western
education and civilization. Hence today, among practitioners of Yoruba religion
we find lawyers, doctors, academicians, architects and engineers to mention but a
few. The resilience of Yoruba religion is being manifested more and more by the
day as confirmed by the presence of non-Nigerians practitioners. As has been
noted, the sacred groove of Osogbo is a big monument where the intertwining of
the flora and fauna with the aesthetic presence of the artwork co-exists. In addition,
the apparent diligent care with which the sacredness of the grooves is protected
makes it neat, serene and expansive. Nigeria has got in the Osun Osogbo grooves a
“holy land” that also serves as a preservation matrix; the question is what
guarantees are there for the future of these monuments?
VI
Concluding Remarks
Motivations and objectives are strong determinants of the mode and form of
religious art among the Yoruba. Wenger’s sculptures in this regard are no
exception. The motivation for the objective of her art are deeply embedded in a
religious commitment, which uses art as a means of communication and
preservation. Her art aid the preservation of fast disappearing myths, beliefs, and
practices of Yoruba religion. Concomitantly, these sculptures proclaim Yoruba
religion to observers. Revitalization is thus an integral part of her art by seeking to
resuscitate the dwindling attention accorded Yoruba religion in Nigeria.
The focus of Wenger’s art informs its mode of production, which is a combination
of art and architecture. The forms of the sculptures are wholly organic, with
components used in proportions determined by religious injunctions. The cement is
mixed with a prescribed amount of the grove’s red earth. Birds, monkeys and
snakes live in them and moss and lichens cover them.
We may surmise that art is a potent means of communication and preservation in
Yoruba religion as exemplified by sculptures produced for deities by Susanne
Wenger and her assistants in the osun groove at Osogbo, Osun State, Nigeria.
These sculptures proclaim and record Yoruba myths and deities at once and in so
doing contributes to the aliveness of Yoruba religion worldwide.
References
Abiodun, R. ed..(1994) The Yoruba Artist. London: Smithsonian Institution Press.
Apostolos-Cappadona, D. ed. (1988) Art, Creativity and the Sacred, New York;
The Crossroad Publishing Company
Brockmann, A. and Hotter G. (1974) ADUNNI-A Portrait of Susanne Wenger.
Germany: Machhart.
Fagg, W. and Picton, J. (1970) The Potter’s Art in Africa. Published by the
Trustees of the British Museum by British Museum Publication Limited.
Lawal, B. (1996) The Gelede Spectacle. The University of Washington Press.
…………, (1970) “Yoruba Sango Sculpture in Historical Retrospect” Indiana
University, PhD (Fine Arts), Microfilms, A. Xeros Company, Ann Arbor,
Michigan.
Olapade, J.O. “Art and Religion” in African Marburgensia, 1996, special issue.
Solomon, M. (1973) Marxist and Art. New York: Vantage Books.
Notes
1. D. Apostolos-Cappadona (ed.) (1988) Art, Creativity and the Sacred, New
York; The Crossroad Publishing Company, p.24
2. M. Solomon (1973) Marxist and Art. New York; Vantage Books, p.205.
3. Ibid. p.165.
4. Culture becomes mobile in the process of transfers outside the precinct of
origin, hence it is transferred, Tran located and in some cases transplanted. See
J.O. Olapade “Art and Religion” in African Marburgensia, 1996, special issue.
5. B. Lawal (1996) The Gelede Spectacle. The University of Washington Press,
p.xvi.
6. D. Apostolos-Cappadona (ed.) (1988) p.128.
7. M. Solomon (1973) p.212.
8. B. Lawal (1996) p.xxii.
9. R. Abiodun (ed.) (1994) The Yoruba Artist. London: Smithsonian Institution
Press, p.32.
10. Interview with Mrs. Doyin Olosun-Faniyi at her Osogbo residence on
21/05/2000. She demonstrated two different tones for me, the Oyo tone and the
Ijesha tone. Both were recorded on tape.
11. Brockmann A. and Hotter G. (1974) ADUNNI-A portrait of Susanne Wenger.
Germany: Machhart, p.7.
12. Interview with Susanne Wenger at her Ibokun Road, Osogbo residence on
18/05/97.
13. The Osun grove is located at the outskirt of Osogbo town. It is an expanse of
land fenced round within which one finds the Osun River, Osun shrine, shrines for
other Yoruba deities and sculptures for the deities by Susanne Wenger and her
assistants. The grove is a blend of Fiona and floral. It is usually a quite and serene
place.
14. Interview with Susanne Wenger, 18/05/97.
15. R. Abiodun (ed.) (1994) p.140.
16. Interview with Prof. Oladare Olajubu, a professor of Yoruba Studies (retired),
at the University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria.
17. Interview with Prof. Oludare Olajubu.
18. W. Fagg and Picton, J. (1970) The Potter’s Art in Africa. Published by the
Trustees of the British Museum by British Museum Publication Limited, p.8.
19. B. Lawal (1970) “ Yoruba Sango Sculpture in Historical Retrospect” Indiana
University, PhD (Fine Arts), Microfilms, A Xeros Company, Ann Arbor,
Michigan, p.221.
20. Interview with Susanne Wenger, 18/05/97.
21. Her assistants include Bruaimoh Gbadamosi, Adebisi Akanji, Doyin olosun –
Feniyi and Saka, Kasali Olota.
22. Interview with Doyin Olosun-Faniyi, 21/05/2000.
___________________
Citation Format:
Oyeronke Olajubu. “The Place of Susan Wenger’s Art in Yoruba Religion: A
Preliminary Survey,” IJELE: Art Journal of the African World: Issue 5,2002.
Copyright © 2002 – 2005 Africa Resource Center, Inc.