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From Taiwo Oluwadare, Ibadan
Renowned Osogbo art pioneer and veteran artist, Prince Yinka Adeyemi, has appealed to the Nigerian government to recognise the creative industry as a critical national asset and urgently establish a functional national gallery.
Adeyemi made the call ahead of Metamorphosis, a two-part multimedia exhibition being staged in his honour as he clocks 80. He lamented that while Nigerian art commands global acclaim, it continues to suffer neglect and underappreciation within the country.
“Our works are everywhere in the world, yet many remain uncollected at home. Nigeria needs a proper national gallery in Ibadan or Lagos,” he said. “The government must realise that art is a powerful economic driver. Crude oil is diminishing, but art is regenerative and eternal.”
Reflecting on his six-decade-long career, Adeyemi traced his artistic roots to the early 1960s when he first engaged in plastic arts and theatre in Ile-Ife. By 1966, he was part of the famed Osogbo group of artists, committed to elevating Nigerian art to global prominence.
“Art is creativity. Nobody can do without it. Contemporary works of today are the antiquities of tomorrow,” he noted. Despite international recognition through exhibitions in the U.S., Germany, and India, his major concern remains continuity through mentorship.
“Artistes are born, not made. We can only teach techniques, but creativity is of the mind. I am ready to teach young artists for free because knowledge must be passed on,” he said.
Adeyemi also unveiled his new book Tanwa published in Yoruba, English, and French and a forthcoming film adaptation by Nollywood star Gabriel Afolayan. According to him, cultural storytelling is vital for positioning Nigerian narratives globally.
In his tribute, Prof. Tunde Odunlade, cultural ambassador and founder of TOCA-F, emphasised the economic and cultural value of art: “Art is the only fully finished product Nigeria exports. Prince Adeyemi has been a cultural ambassador for decades, and it is only right that we celebrate him.”
Similarly, Larry Segun-Lean, owner of Master of the Minds Gallery, described Adeyemi as a cultural asset of enduring relevance: “His works renew themselves all the time. Any nation without art has no soul. Baba remains a flagbearer of Osogbo art.”
Veteran artist Dr. Bruce Onobrakpeya also praised Adeyemi’s contributions, stressing the central role of artists in preserving Nigeria’s heritage: “What we know of Nigeria today is largely because of our artists. Prince Adeyemi is a classical modern artist, and we must protect and celebrate geniuses like him.”
The Metamorphosis exhibition, jointly organised by the Tunde Odunlade Culture and Arts Foundation (TOCA-F) and Master of the Minds Gallery, opens on August 30, 2025, at the Tunde Odunlade Arts and Culture Connexions, Ibadan, before moving to The Art Hotel, Lagos, on September 13.
