Lamidi Olonade Fakeye

Lamidi Olonade Fakeye (1925 – December 25, 2009) was a fifth generation Nigerian sculptor and academic. He was from the Inurin compound of the Isedo Quaters in Ila-Orangun. Professor Lamidi contributed immensely to the growth of sculpture in the whole of the country and even beyond.

Background

Fakeye was born on 1925 in Ila Orangun, Nigeria. He first carved a sculpture in 1938 at that point he was an apprentice under the auspice of his father.

Career In 1955, he went to work at Holy Cross Primary School in Lagos, Nigeria as an art instructor. His first solo exhibition was in 1960 and took place at the British Council in Nigeria. In 1962, he was named the artist-in-residence at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, Michigan. By 1964, he was elected president of the Society of Professional Artists of Nigeria,

Awards 1989: Awarded Oyo State, Nigeria, Special Merit Award

Movie In 2011, a movie was made about Fakeye's life called Lamidi Olonade Fakeye: The Life of a Master Carver directed by Joe Reese and written by Elizabeth Morton.

Died Fakeye died on December 25, 2009, in Ile-Ife, Nigeria. His death was due to complications following prostate-cancer surgery.