About: Adekunle Akangbe Ogun-Yoruba Woodcarver and Sculptor

Adekunle Akangbe Ogun was born to the family of Mr. and Mrs. Kasali Akangbe Ogun in Osogbo, Osun State, Nigeria. Ogun, as he is called by his parents and generally known, is the third born of seven children, truly a blessing from Eledumare. His father, Kasali Akangbe, is an internationally-renowned traditional woodcarver and his mother, a trader, is skilled in the traditional art of cloth-dying called “adire” , passed on to her at an early age by her grandmother.

Adekunle mastered his father’s unique carving style at a very young age.

At age of 5, his first marketable sculpture was sold for 25 Nigerian naira and graced the walls of Susanne Wenger’s home gallery in Osogbo.

His zeal for the way of life of his ancestors urged him to remain in his hometown, learning the culture from his elders and growing closer to them every day.

Adekunle,Awo Awosoji, has continued over time to use his continuous training in ifa and Orishas spirituality and herbal cure to help provide answers and solutions to many that have crossed paths with him on spiritual growth.

 

Ade is also working as a traditional woodcarver in Osogbo,sells cultural items to his numerous clients mostly  across the oceans,he also works as a link for people abroad who wish to come to Nigeria for a visit, study Yoruba and  cultural way of life, organize ceremonies and right of passage.

As a Yoruba man who follows the traditions and  of his Yoruba nation of West Africa, Ogun’s sculptures reflects the unique culture and customs of his home.  His art works are usually representations of Orisa and Orisa items: doors, windows, beds, and totem/wooden pillar posts.

 

The Kasali family specializes in structural art design, bringing beauty, strength, and meaning to all the structures they create.The perfect place to see some of this beauty is Osun Grove in Osogbo, where Adekunle worked with his father in making the shrines, relaxation huts, art shops and the elegant and beautiful structures that seem to tell their own stories as you walk by.