By Simeon Mpamugoh
One of Nigeria’s foremost sculptors and environmental artists, Dotun Popoola, recently delivered a magnificent sculptural piece of a lion commissioned by Oba Saheed Ademola Elegushi, the Kusenla 111 of Ikate Kingdom, in his palace in Lekki, Lagos.
Popoola said a chance meeting with the monarch in 2021, who saw a work he crafted for his friend and brother, Dr. Olaolu Mudashiru, and requested him to craft two bigger lions for his palace.
“At my studio, I delved into researching about Ikate Kingdom’s history from the compendium the king provided, and interpreted the story through the canvas of a lion. I also consulted The Evolution of Ikate Kingdom, a book authored by Prof. Habeeb Sanni, Dr. Bashir Animashaun, and Dr. Olawale Lawal, which establishes the royal lineage dating back to 1632.
“In the book, I found out that
Ikate Kingdom’s strength and courage is symbolised by lions despite various mythological interpretations and descriptions. The kingdom proudly declares in Yoruba language, ‘A ti de ade kinihun,’ which means that ‘We have been enthroned with the crown of the lion’. And it has contributed significantly to Lagos’ industrial, social and economic progress,” he disclosed.
The artist attributed the spate of urbanisation in Lagos State with the emergence of several flourishing towns in Ikate Kingdom noting that “Elegushi lays firm royal and ruling claim to Ikate-Elegushi economic development. This claim is no way a fabled logic but one with sound historical footing,” he added.
He said that the lion sculpture size: 14-ft long, 8.5-ft high, and 4-ft broad and weighing 300kg, was created to encapsulate history, culture, royalty, elegance, luxury, and sustainability. He pointed out that it was made with scrap metals, mild steel, aluminum, bronze, automobile parts, auto-based pigment, and took more than two years to finish the work.
While receiving the piece, Oba Saheed Elegushi, who turned 47 last April, felt elated and satisfied about the piece: “I commissioned Dotun Poopola to produce a sculptural piece of a lion and you brought a monumental sculpture of a lion with history.
“Dotun Popoola’s artistic prowess is undeniable, and I must express my admiration for the exquisite masterpiece that has emerged from his gifted hands.
“It is for this reason I commissioned him to create lions symbolising my ancestral strength and persona. I could not have fathomed the depth to which he would elevate the concept. The resulting sculpture stands not merely as a representation of the regal lion but as a compendium of the rich history of the Ikate-Elegushi Kingdom.”
The 21st Oba of Ikate-Elegushi Kingdom revealed that the remarkable sculpture would be transformed into a luxury coffee table book, which would reflect the analysis of forms and content in the sculpture and also give a creative visual insight into history of the Ikate-Elegushi Kingdom, adding that he would ensure that the book would be placed in palaces and luxury places across the globe.