Abiodun Olaku (Painter)
Subject: African Artists and Drawing
An indigene of Ogun State, Nigeria, who was born on December 29, 1958, works and lives in Lagos, Nigeria with his family, Abiodun Olaku is a respected member of the Society of Nigeria Artists (SNA); a founding member, inaugural vice-president and trustee of the Guild of Professional Fine Artists of Nigeria (GFA); and one of the founders and trustee of Universal Studios of Art, National Theatre, Lagos. He continues to train, mentor and inspire younger generations of Nigerian Artists, and also consults widely on professional art matters, among other activities. Abiodun Olaku’s talent can be traced back to his early days in Baptist Academy, Lagos, between 1970 and 1975. He rode on the back of the school’s tradition which encouraged art and craft through a sustained retinue of qualified, committed and motivating teachers in that segment of the educational curriculum. This, undoubtedly, left an indelible impression on his psyche. It was therefore without any hesitation that he grabbed the opportunity to study art at the next level of his educational pursuits.
The solid foundation for this remarkably glorious, creative odyssey was laid in Nigeria’s foremost art institution, Yaba College of Technology, between 1976 and 1981, where Olaku had a comprehensive orientation for his professional life under the watchful guidance of competent and committed lecturers and instructors ably led by living legend, Yussuf Grillo and his lieutenants, namely, late (Soviet-trained sculptor) Isiaka Osunde and iconic Master Kolade Oshinowo. This period primed him thoroughly for overall ability and competence as a painter in focused pursuit of a timeless legacy (100 contemporary grandmasters of fine art, 2016).
By:
Benjamin Onuorah
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