Veteran Artist Fasuyi Marks 82nd Birthday in Style…

Yinka Olatunbosun

One of Nigeria’s pioneer artists, Timothy Adebanjo Fasuyi is a very intriguing man. At 82, his home is filled with fresh paintings in preparation for the exhibition in celebration of his birthday. Actually, Fasuyi hardly celebrates birthdays. But in the interest of art, a week-long programme which includes a colloquium is being organised for art enthusiasts in Lagos.

Forget what anyone might have told you about cultural centres in Lagos. Fasuyi built the first cultural centre in Lagos in 1971 even before the National Theatre was completed. His goal was to use the centre to promote interest in our indigenous culture through performances, food and art works side-by-side with other cultural organisations such as the British Council, Goethe-Institut, Italian Cultural Centre and the American Embassy. However, the low turnout at the Ikeja hub was discouraging to him hence he converted the building to a pre-varsity school.

Born in 1935, at Ilesa,  his grandfather, the Asolo of Isona was the head of the Artists Guild based in Isona. In 1949, he was admitted into Ilesa Grammar School where art became his favourite subject. He was the cartoonist and illustrator of the school magazine whose editor was Lateef Jakande. After his secondary education, he was employed at the Survey Department, Western Region Ministry of Works and Housing and posted to the drawing section of the parastatal. In 1954, he was admitted into the Nigeria College of Arts and Science, Zaria as one of the pioneer students. He won all departmental prizes including the Sir Sidney Philipson Prize for the most outstanding examination performance.

He began his teaching career shortly at secondary schools including the Kings’ College, Methodist, St. Finbarrs and St. Gregory, designing logos for the Federal Government Colleges. He is the co-founder of the Society of Nigerian Artists and was appointed Federal Art Adviser in 1969 and between 1973 and 1975, he served as UNESCO goodwill cultural ambassador. At the age of 50, he retired but began painting assiduously. As he said, his palette is still wet.

“I have too many ideas in my head,” he began as he was surrounded by select journalists inside his gallery. His paintings bear the signature, TAFAS which is drawn from first letters of his name.

He is exhibiting 82 works and that really keeps him busy. Most of the works are a reflection of the social realities in Nigeria. One of them titled, “Mixed Feelings”,  penetrates into the heart of a woman whose abducted child is found pregnant.

“I reflected on the Chibok girls and their plight after their release. The unwanted pregnancy creates a mixed feeling. This one is called Unknown Soldier,” he said, drawing attention to the episode of the raped women and girls at the Internally Displaced Persons camp. In the work titled, “ The Burden of African Woman”, he paints the picture of a woman who is multi-tasking. She backs a baby, heaps firewood on her head, carries a water pot and is heavily pregnant.

“I find it easy to produce works in any of the isms –  impressionism, expressionism, cubism and abstractism. I am at home with natural synthase which has now become the trademark of Zaria trained artists. My post graduate courses in Birmingham University UK and Sydney University, Australia have added some values to my Zaria training. My visits to over 80 leading cities of the world have also enhanced my practice. I have experimented with calabash sculptures an offshoot of the traditional Oyo Calabash carving and decoration.”

The exhibition opens tomorrow, which will be followed on the next day by a colloquium at the Conference Hall, TAFAS Art Centre, Off Adeniyi Jones, Ikeja. A special prayer session will be held with family and friends on Wednesday April 19.

Fasuyi usually paints for two or three hours, read newspapers and receive visitors. When he is not painting, he dances in his room.