Talk about the greatest families in any town including Ikorodu, it is either because of their wealth their educational/professional attainments, their integrity levels or the enormity of power and influence they wield.
That is why you easily recall such family names as the Ogbaras, the Gbadamosis, the Abirus, the Onafowokans, the Allisons, Mudashirus, Bensons, Olowosagos, Ogunleyes, Ogunlewes, Ogunsanyas etc.
In every sphere of life, these families have produced the most outstanding names/personalities. For example, in architecture, no one can forget Onafowokans, in politics/business, the Allisons, Bensons, Ogunsanyas, Gbadamosis, in the military, we remember the late ex Administrator Mudasiru; in Sports, Falilat Oshikoya, in the Judiciarythe Adeyinkas and Abirus etc. In some of these popular families; there are assemblages of gurus in almost every major profession.
But little or nothing has ever been heard about the visual or creative arts as far as Ikorodu is concerned. The media and literary arts have produced the likes of Oriwu Sun Publisher, Monzor Olowosago, the Head of Service, Babatunde Rotinwa, Segun Ogunlewe, Politician Abike Dabiri Erewa, Mayor Akinpelu of Encomium Magazine etc. But little or nothing is known by Ikorodu about the big names in the fine and applied arts.
The story has however changed. In the past four years, the illustrious son of Ikorodu, Chief Rasheed Gbadamosi, OFR, ex minister for National Planning, has promoted the visual arts through the establishment of an arts pavilion known as Grillo Pavilion to recognize and promote great masters of the visual art.
Each of’ the past four years celebrated a visual art master, starting with Professor Yusuf Grillo, in whose name the pavilion stand today.
The fifth edition of this annual visual art festival was significant for three reasons. The annual fiesta was initiated by an Ikorodu son, Rasheed Gbadamosi. It was hosted by the same Gbadamosi, an acknowledged art collector and promoter. Thirdly, an Ikorodu son, Kolade Oshinowo was the master artist celebrated in this year’s edition of the festival.
At the expansive/palatial home of Chief Rasheed Gbadamosi, Nigerian artists all stakeholders/lovers of art from the global community converged on Saturday March 30, 2013 to celebrate this Ikorodu visual artist.
It was a day to recognize the Oshinowo family, which among others has produced one of the best known bus transporters in the 50’s , 60’s and 70’s, an army Major General pharmacist, lawyer, accomplished global artist.
On that fateful Saturday, bus -loads of students from Yaba College of Technology, Departments of Fine Arts, LAS U, UNILAG and other institutions and various sculptors, fine artists, teachers, arts collectors, lovers of arts, the media, friends and relations of the Oshinowo’s family assembled at No. I Sule Oyesola Gbadamosi Crescent, off Obafemi Awolowo Road, Oke-Ota Ona near Ikorodu Grammar school, Ikorodu for this annual feast. Inside two or three hectares of land, three-quarter of which are beautiful lawns and gardens, the large audience of artists was comfortably hosted.
From the Gbadamosi’s gate, one would start perceiving a fine display of artistic works. As in all scholarly events such as symposia, colloquia, seminars, conferences, etc there was a stand which accredited all visitors, providing them with information, book/brochures and other guidelines.
The main residential building of this great Nigerian former minister, and ex-boss of the Petroleum pricing, monitoring and regulatory agency, sits at the center of the massive land surrounded with and by luxury gardens, lawns and parks. In one arm of this residential area is the hemispherically shaped lecture room where the opening ceremonies of the 5th Grillo Pavillion were held. Unfortunately, the beautiful venue, perhaps, did not anticipate the number of guests it hosted that day as its air conditioning could not cope with the hundreds of stakeholders who were eager to hear from the host, Chief Rasheed Gbadamosi; the Head of the Curatorial Team, Dr. Kunle Adeyemi; the guest lecturer, Professor Jerry Buhari of Ahmadu Bello University; the man in whose name the pavilion was named, Prof Grillo and others.
The event was flagged off at 11:3am with Dr. Adeyemi’s welcome comments, in which he noted that the Grillio Pavillion has remained primarily an avenue to appreciate, celebrate, and recognize visual art masters who have contributed to the development, and progress of the practice of the visual arts. He observed that the annual fiesta had in the past five years expanded its engagement and choice of celebrated artists.
He announced that the 2013 Grillio Pavillion is showcasing the works of one of Nigeria’s most prolific studio master painter; Kolade Oshinowo; hence, the congregation in Ikorodu of art critics, researchers, students, artists, patrons, art historians and observers to study and enjoy the immense creations of this Ikorodu born artist.
Chief Rasheed Gbadamosi, an economist, poet writer, art collector and appreciator, had described Oshinowo as the most celebrated citizen of Ikorodu who has gained fame as a visual artist, teacher, mentor and a real international star.
Using a combination of poetic language abstract and estoric forms, Chief Gbadamosi painted literary pictures of historic Ikorodu town of the past from which Kolade Oshinowo sprouted as a son. Born into a famous and affluent family, he had a choice of any discipline to venture into in his academic career. His siblings went into other areas as pharmacy, law, politics and public service but Kolade chose the fine and applied arts.
Like children who opted for music, he was ridiculed by some of his relations and friends for deciding to go to a university to read visual arts.
Today, Kolade is a celebrated global artist whose precious works of paintings are found in affluent homes such as the Gbadamosi’s and various galleries of the world. Kolade works are portrayed in various forms including oil, mixed media, canvas and rags, carefully selected and turned into a celebration of beauty, colours and fine strokes of divine creativity.
The high point of the event was the lecture titled, “The master of Romantic Expressionism,” a paper presented by Prof Buhari of ABU.
For more than one hour, this erudite Professor of Arts, who is no relation of ex- Head of state General Buhari (rtd), took the audience on a journey that was illustrative, jocular and academic. After his appreciation and introduction, which in the main was to refresh the memories of Oshinowo on ABU which he left in 1972 and developments in that Arts department since he left, Prof Buhari delved into Kolade the artist.
He described Oshinowo as a creative Colosus citing other notable art historians and scholars. Prof Buhari spoke about Oshinowo’s contributions in the management of Yaba College of Technology. He joined the college in 1974 and rose to become the
Deputy Rector between 1992 and 1995.
Prof. Buhari defined the scope of his presentation and went straight into what he meant by Romantic Expressionism, explaining that in writing about an artist, it is easier if one can identify familiar connections as a way of setting off the discussion. He took a broad overview of the creative landscape of Kolade. In doing so, he clearly identified two creative nuances one of them the phantasmal exploration of everyday life, taken often to the heights of dreams that Kolade appears to find irresistible and secondly, the expressive approach to both technique and subject matter in almost all Oshinowo’s works. The ABU lecturer gave the African response to European Romanticism as well as Romantic expressions in the African context.
Speaking on the subtitle, “The Female figure and the male artist,” Prof Buhari pointed out that the female figure forms a central focus in Oshinowos’s works. His Works depict the glorification of womanhood, especially the symbolism of beauty, elegance, motherhood, dignity and the home maker. A beautiful storey building, well illuminated, well air conditioned and close to the Gbaclamosi’s gate is a gallery where some of the best works of Oshinowo were exhibited. Every
art lover had the opportunity to appreciate the paintings of this master artist.
By 2pm, the audience was ready for the last segment of the fiesta. At the massive garden of the Gbadamosi where canopies, tents, tables. A buffet had been arranged as the interactive session of the lecture was to be blended with the social/entertainment segment.