Connect with us

Lifestyle

PHOTOS: Chief Nike Davies-Okundaye and the Legacy of Nike Art Centre

Published

on

Introduction

Chief (Mrs.) Oyenike Monica Okundaye, popularly known as Nike Davies-Okundaye or simply “Mama Nike,” is a Nigerian artist, textile designer, and cultural ambassador whose life’s work has become a beacon of empowerment through art. Born in 1951 in Ogidi-Ijumu, Kogi State, Nigeria, she transformed her humble beginnings into a global legacy by creating art centres, training thousands of youths, and establishing the largest art gallery in West Africa.

Early Life and Artistic Roots

Nike Davies-Okundaye grew up surrounded by traditional weaving, indigo dyeing, and Adire textile production in her hometown of Ogidi. Her parents and great-grandmother, who were musicians and craftspeople, nurtured her creativity from childhood. Later, she spent her early adult years in Osogbo, one of Nigeria’s cultural capitals, where she immersed herself in the thriving art scene dominated by indigo dyeing and traditional crafts. This environment shaped her artistic identity and philosophy of using art as a tool for empowerment.

Establishment of the Nike Art Centre

In September 2009, Chief Nike founded the Nike Art and Culture Centre in Osogbo. The centre was created solely from her earnings as an artist, without any government support. She began the initiative with 20 young girls she found aimlessly roaming the streets of Osogbo, giving them a lifeline through free training in weaving, painting, and textile design.

Since then, the centre has expanded its reach and impact. To date, over 3,000 young Nigerians have been trained at her art centres, many of whom are now independent artists earning decent livelihoods.

Furthermore, students from other African countries travel to Nigeria to study at her centres, a testament to their international recognition.

Women Empowerment and Cultural Preservation

Chief Nike’s philosophy has always been to empower women and youth through art. She established cottage weaving workshops in Abuja, Osogbo, and Ogidi-Ijumu, helping rural women gain financial independence. By teaching them traditional crafts, she not only preserved cultural heritage but also provided sustainable livelihoods in their communities.

Her work has made her an icon of economic and social empowerment through creativity, inspiring countless young Nigerians to pursue art professionally.

Nike Art Gallery: The Largest in West Africa

Beyond the training centres, Chief Nike owns and curates the Nike Art Galleries in Lagos, Osogbo, Ogidi-Ijumu, and Abuja. The Nike Art Gallery in Lagos, located in Lekki, is the largest in West Africa.

This four-story building houses over 7,000 artworks, including paintings, textiles, sculptures, and crafts from Nigerian and African artists. More than just a gallery, it serves as a textile museum, cultural hub, and tourist destination. The gallery is open seven days a week and frequently hosts exhibitions, workshops, and cultural events. Plans are underway to add a coffee shop to enhance the visitor experience.

Global Recognition

Chief Nike’s unique style in textile design and painting has earned her international recognition. She has showcased her work and conducted workshops across the world, including in the United States, Belgium, Germany, Austria, Italy, and the United Kingdom. Through these exhibitions, she has become a global ambassador for Nigerian art and culture, breaking boundaries and introducing traditional crafts to new audiences.

Legacy and Impact

Nike Davies-Okundaye is not just an artist but also a mentor, cultural custodian, and philanthropist. By founding four art centres across Nigeria, she has provided free training in visual, musical, and performing arts, creating a ripple effect of cultural preservation and economic empowerment.

Her work has preserved Nigeria’s rich traditions of Adire and indigo dyeing while ensuring they remain relevant in the modern art world. Today, the Nike Art Centres and Galleries stand as monuments to her vision: that art can transform lives, empower communities, and preserve cultural identity.

From a small village in Kogi State to international stages, Chief Nike Davies-Okundaye has dedicated her life to art, culture, and empowerment. Her legacy lives not only in the walls of the Nike Art Gallery but in the thousands of artists she has trained and the women she has empowered. In preserving the past and inspiring the future, Mama Nike continues to stand as one of Nigeria’s greatest cultural icons.

FOLLOW US ON:

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

PINTEREST

TIKTOK

YOUTUBE

LINKEDIN

TUMBLR

INSTAGRAM

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Lifestyle

TikToker Jarvis reveals why she’s not married to Peller

Published

on

A popular Nigerian TikTok creator, Amadou  Aminata, widely known as Jarvis recently shared insights into her relationship with her boyfriend and creative partner, Peller.

During a candid TikTok live session sighted on Monday, she expressed her readiness to settle down but noted that Peller’s younger age is a key reason they haven’t yet taken the step toward marriage.

Recently, speculation has been growing among fans about when the couple might get married. Many of their followers have noticed their strong chemistry and assumed that marriage might be on the horizon. The two have built a strong online following, with fans closely following both their content and personal relationship.

In the viral conversation, Jarvis looked at Peller and stated, “Let us not lie, the age difference is there because I am older and I accept that and I don’t want it to look like since I am older, I am pressurising him to get married at the wrong time and of course, this is a wrong time for him. Let us be real and logical.

“I am not pushing you, and I am after your happiness, and I don’t want you to get married and start to regret rushing into marriage,” she added.

Her remarks quickly gained traction online, sparking widespread discussions about relationships with age differences and capturing the attention of their large fanbase.

During the conversation, Jarvis looked directly at Peller and said, “By now, I would have gotten married, but your age is the one slowing me down. If you were older than me, we would have gotten married.

“Her statement quickly drew attention online and has since gone viral, with many people sharing their views about relationships where one partner is younger.

Jarvis, who is 23 years old and from Benin City in Edo State, first became famous for her unique style of acting like a robot in her videos.

She started creating content during a period of university strike when a friend encouraged her to try out TikTok

What began as a casual activity soon grew into something much bigger, as people across Nigeria and beyond became attracted to her creative content.

Later, Jarvis teamed up with Peller, who is now her romantic partner as well as her creative partner.

In the early days, she revealed that she was the one supporting him financially while he tried to build his presence online.

With time, Peller also grew in popularity and became more established as a creator. Their teamwork and chemistry made them a well-known pair among young people who follow them on social media.

Today, Jarvis has more than seven million followers on TikTok, making her one of Nigeria’s most successful and easily recognised online personalities. Despite her fame, she continues to face questions from fans about her personal life, especially her relationship with Peller.

Her recent comments about marriage and age have once again placed her in the spotlight, sparking discussions about love, maturity, and the expectations placed on young couple.

FOLLOW US ON:

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

PINTEREST

TIKTOK

YOUTUBE

LINKEDIN

TUMBLR

INSTAGRAM

Continue Reading

Lifestyle

Jonathan Adagogo Green: Nigeria’s First Indigenous Professional Photographer

Published

on

Jonathan Adagogo Green (1873–1905) occupies a unique place in Nigerian cultural history as the country’s first indigenous professional photographer. At a time when the camera was still a rare and foreign tool, Green used it to document the Niger Delta during an era of social transformation, leaving behind an invaluable visual record of both tradition and colonial encounter.

Early Life and Education

Born in Bonny, Rivers State, Green was of Ibani (Ijaw) heritage. His upbringing placed him at the heart of a cosmopolitan trading hub, where encounters with Europeans, missionaries, and local aristocracy shaped his worldview. Photography was still an emerging craft in West Africa when Green showed interest. He pursued formal training in Sierra Leone, where he studied the technical aspects of photography, though some scholars suggest he may also have apprenticed with European photographers in Nigeria before traveling.

By the time he returned home, Green had mastered his craft and set up his own studio in Bonny, a groundbreaking step that made him one of the first Nigerians to establish a professional career in photography.

Career and Artistic Vision

Green’s portfolio was as diverse as it was culturally rich. His subjects included:

Local chiefs and dignitaries, often portrayed in elaborate regalia that emphasized traditional authority.
British colonial officials, reflecting the growing imperial influence in the Niger Delta.

Everyday life, trade, and rituals, which provided an intimate glimpse into the rhythms of a society navigating both continuity and change.

His work was widely distributed in postcards and albums, circulating within Nigeria and beyond. This not only shaped local identity but also framed how outsiders perceived the Niger Delta.

Green had a distinctive eye for balance. His portraits often juxtaposed tradition and modernity—capturing chiefs in ceremonial attire alongside colonial officers in uniform, or Nigerian elites in European suits still rooted in indigenous culture. His photography, therefore, was not merely aesthetic but interpretive, offering commentary on the hybrid realities of colonial-era Nigeria.

Challenges of Recognition
For decades, Green’s identity was obscured by his English surname. Many early historians mistakenly assumed he was a European photographer, which delayed the recognition of his role as a Nigerian pioneer. It was only through scholarly research that his Ibani (Ijaw) heritage and indigenous identity were firmly established.

Legacy

Though his career was cut short by his untimely death in 1905 at just 32 years old, Jonathan Adagogo Green left behind a powerful archive of images that remain central to Nigeria’s visual history. Many of his works are preserved in the National Museum, Lagos, as well as in international collections.

In 2003, the National Gallery of Art in Abuja curated an exhibition of his works, reaffirming his status as the “father of Nigerian photography.” Scholars like S. O. Ikpakronyi have since helped cement his rightful place in the narrative of Nigeria’s cultural heritage.

Today, Green is celebrated not just as a photographer but as a visionary who understood the power of the image in defining identity, culture, and history. His work bridged the gap between tradition and modernity, leaving a legacy that continues to inspire generations of Nigerian photographers and visual storytellers.

Source: Ikpakronyi, S. O. Jonathan Adagogo Green: Pioneer Nigerian Photographer. National Gallery of Art, Abuja, 2003.

FOLLOW US ON:

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

PINTEREST

TIKTOK

YOUTUBE

LINKEDIN

TUMBLR

INSTAGRAM

Continue Reading

Lifestyle

Barbara Soky: The Screen Icon Who Defined Nigerian Television Drama

Published

on

Barbara Soky is a veteran Nigerian actress and singer whose performances in the 1980s and 1990s made her a household name. She remains one of the defining faces of the golden era of Nigerian television drama.

Early Career and Breakthrough

Barbara Soky first attracted public attention as Rosemary Hart in Inside Out, an NTA drama that gave her an early platform. While often described as her “first major role,” records suggest she had appeared in smaller productions before this breakthrough, making Inside Out one of her earliest but not necessarily her debut television appearance. Her natural charm and screen presence quickly set her apart and prepared the stage for the iconic roles that followed.

Rise to Stardom

Her portrayal of Yinka Fawole in Mirror in the Sun, one of Nigeria’s most beloved soap operas of the 1980s, established her as a national star. Alongside actors such as Funsho Adeolu and Clarion Chukwura, Soky brought life to family drama that resonated across Nigerian households.

She went on to play Daphne Wellington-Cole in Ripples (1988–1993), another landmark NTA production created by Zeb Ejiro. The series became a staple of evening television, and Soky’s sophisticated performance helped shape its enduring popularity.

Music Career

In 1986, at the height of her acting fame, Soky explored a different side of her artistry by releasing the album Going Places. The project leaned into pop and highlife influences, reflecting the musical tastes of urban Nigeria at the time. While not as commercially enduring as her acting career, the record added to her reputation as a multi-talented entertainer.

Hiatus and Return

After years of success, Soky took a step back from the limelight in the late 1990s. Her extended hiatus left fans nostalgic for her screen presence. Reports suggest her return began gradually in the 2000s with roles in Nollywood films, though her high-profile re-entry was much later, with the reboot Ripples: The New Generation, which premiered in 2023. Her reappearance connected a new generation of viewers with the legacy of Nigerian television drama.

Legacy

Barbara Soky’s career reflects the golden era of Nigerian soap operas, when family dramas like Mirror in the Sun and Ripples defined evening entertainment. She stands as a bridge between early television drama and modern Nollywood, remembered for her elegance, versatility, and pioneering contributions to Nigeria’s screen culture.

Her story is one of reinvention: a star who dominated television in the 1980s, explored music in the mid-1980s, stepped away at her peak, and later returned to reconnect with audiences who never forgot her.

Sources:
Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) archives (Mirror in the Sun, Ripples)
Daily Times of Nigeria (1980s

FOLLOW US ON:

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

PINTEREST

TIKTOK

YOUTUBE

LINKEDIN

TUMBLR

INSTAGRAM

Continue Reading

Trending