Jan 11, 20192 min read

Madam Wokie at Nike Art Gallery

Nike Art Gallery is West Africa's largest art gallery, with branches in Lagos, Abuja, Kogi and Osun states in Nigeria. The gallery was was founded by legendary artist, Dr Nike Davies-Okundaye.

Chief (Mrs) Nike Davies-Okundaye was born in 1951 in Ogidi-Ijumu, Kogi State, Nigeria. She was brought up amidst the traditional weaving and dying practice in her native village of Ogidi in Western Nigeria. Chief Nike's artistic skills were nurtured at a young age by her parents and great grandmother who were musicians and craftspeople. She spent the early part of her life in Osogbo, which is recognised as one of the major centres for art and culture in Nigeria. During her stay in Osogbo, indigo dying and Adire production dominated her informal training.

Chief Nike is the founder and director of four art centres, which offers free training to young artists in visual, musical and the performing arts. She is the owner of the largest art gallery in West Africa, compromising over 7,000 artworks. The centres also serve as a rich source of knowledge for traditional arts and culture to scholars and institutions. Nike is known all over the world for promoting her designs through exhibitions and workshops in Nigeria, USA, Belgium, Germany, Austria, Italy and the United Kingdom.

She was featured on CNN International's "African Voices" which tells about Africa's most engaging personalities, exploring their lives and passions. Nike's painting is permanently featured at The Smithsonian Museum as of 2012, and her work is also part of the collection of The Gallery of African Art and The British Library, in London.

She holds the chieftaincy titles of the Yeye Oba of Ogidi-Ijumu and the Yeye Tasase of Oshogbo.