In a poignant farewell, the renowned Nigerian master wood carver Kasali Akangbe Ogun has been laid to rest following his passing last week after a brief illness. Hailing from a long lineage of Yoruba wood carvers, Akangbe Ogun carried on the rich tradition, taking it from his birthplace of Osogbo in the country’s southwest to the global art scene.
Akangbe Ogun was celebrated for his “unique artistic style, characterised by lean, elongated faces and dynamic, flowing forms,” according to Nigerian art patron Olufemi Akinsanya. He was a leading figure in the New Sacred Art Movement, founded in the 1960s by the late Austrian-Nigerian artist and Yoruba priestess, Susanne Wenger, to help protect the 75-hectare Osun Forest and its river.
Akangbe Ogun’s carvings can be seen throughout the Osun Forest, a UNESCO World Heritage Site designated in 2005 for its cultural significance in Yoruba cosmology. “Regarded as the abode of the goddess of fertility Osun, one of the pantheon of Yoruba gods, the landscape of the grove and its meandering river is dotted with sanctuaries and shrines, sculptures and artworks in honour of Osun and other deities,” UNESCO states on its website.
The artist was committed to safeguarding the forest, even confronting and getting into scuffles with those trying to fish in the sacred River Osun, where such activities were prohibited. The river is the focus of the annual Osun-Osogbo Festival, which attracts thousands of worshippers and spectators and is one of Nigeria’s biggest tourism draws.
Despite his fame, Akangbe Ogun led a simple life among the ordinary people of Osogbo. More than anything, he wanted to maintain his living environment as a model of the traditional Yoruba setting, a place for people to come and learn about the old ways.
“What pleases me the most is that my children have learned the wood carving art, they have inherited the legacy. The work will live on through my children,” Akangbe Ogun reflected in an interview last year.
Curator and art consultant Moses Ohiomokhare paid tribute to the artist, saying, “I mourn the loss of this great artist, a master wood carver and an extraordinary person. His art should be remembered by the world.”
Akangbe Ogun’s work transcended the traditional boundaries of sculpture, structural design, folklore, and environmental preservation, as historian Akinwunmi Ogundiran noted. His carvings, from the monumental structures in the Osun Grove to the smaller pieces like his Wooden Rocking Horse, stand as a testament to his mastery and the enduring legacy of Yoruba cultural heritage.
