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 Osun Forest and its river.
We will continue to plant trees because heritage must not be left naked, Akangbe Ogun told me when I visited him in 2020.
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.
With landscapes dotted with sanctuaries and shrines, the sacred Osun grove represents the abode of the goddess of fertility Out of respect for ancient traditions, Akangbe Ogun consistently battled to preserve the environment against misuse.
His art has been exhibited internationally, and he were considered a crucial figure in the New Sacred Art Movement, helping to integrate spiritual depth into Yoruba practices through his wood carvings.
Kasali Akangbe Ogun's legacy remains engrained in the hearts and minds of many, as he has been celebrated not only for his craftsmanship but also for his commitment to teaching the next generations and preserving Yoruba culture.
