In brief
Kasali Akangbe Ogun, a celebrated wood carver from Nigeria, has been laid to rest following his recent passing due to a brief illness. Renowned for his unique artistic style characterized by elongated forms, he was a key figure in the New Sacred Art Movement. His works not only exemplify incredible craftsmanship but also play a crucial role in preserving Yoruba cultural heritage in the UNESCO-designated Osun-Osogbo Sacred Grove. Ogun's legacy continues through his art and the teachings passed to his children.
Renowned Nigerian master wood carver Kasali Akangbe Ogun has been buried following his death last week after a brief illness.
He came from a long line of wood carvers from the Yoruba people, and took the tradition from his birthplace of Osogbo in the country's south-west to the global art space.
Akangbe Ogun was famous for his unique artistic style, characterised by lean, elongated faces and dynamic, flowing forms, noted Nigerian art patron Olufemi Akinsanya.
He was one of the leading lights of the New Sacred Art Movement, founded by the late Austrian-Nigerian artist and Yoruba priestess, Susanne Wenger, in the 1960s, to help protect the 75-hectare Osun Forest and its river.
The grove, on the outskirts of Osogbo city, was designated a Unesco World Heritage Site in 2005 for its cultural significance in the cosmology of the Yoruba, and as the largest protected high primary forest in the region.
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.
His art stands as a testament to a life committed to faith, community, and visual poetry, curator Osei Bonsu remarked during his tribute.
Akangbe Ogun's works transcend traditional boundaries of sculpture and environmental preservation, and he has left a remarkable impact on Yoruba cultural heritage.
Despite his fame, he lived a humble life, devoted to preserving the traditional Yoruba way, ensuring future generations inherited the art of wood carving.
His legacy will live on not only through his craft but also through the work of his children, who carry on his tradition.
