212:, a German editor and scholar living there at the time, who with his wife Georgina Beier ran an artist workshop. The Oshogbo school prided itself as not being a place that taught artists, but rather provided opportunities to confirm the individual vision of the different artists. At the Beier workshop, Seven Seven was given basic tools and minimal instruction throughout his artistic processes. Through this, Seven Seven was able to create his own unique style of painting.
31:
317:
In 2000, he moved to
Philadelphia, where he hoped to permanently settle, but he was robbed, evicted, and fired from multiple menial jobs. At this low point, George Jevremovic mounted an exhibition for him in 2005 for a generous amount of money and gave him a space to work. He worked here until 2008
183:
to drink water sacred to the river goddess Osun to ensure her child's survival. As a result, it was believed that Twins Seven Seven was a reincarnation of his great-grandfather, Osun-toki, whose name means "Osun is worthy of worship." As a child, he was often difficult to his mother, threatening to
220:
Twins Seven Seven's work is influenced by traditional Yoruba mythology and culture, and creates a fantastic universe of humans, animals, plants and Yoruba gods. Visually, his work resembles Yoruba carvings in the segmentation, division and repetition of his compositions; conceptually, it reflects
282:
He was in line to become King of Ibadan upon which he would be named
Osuntoki II. However, he first had to become the head of his clan, Mogaji. When the old Mogaji died, Twins Seven Seven was elected by his family to take his place, but the coronation kept being pushed back, and he died before he
200:
He attended primary and secondary school, as well as briefly attending a teachers' training college for one year, and although he achieved academic success in his examinations, he detested the structure of classrooms and grew stronger interests toward art and music.
236:. However, Twins Seven Seven also described his work as "contemporary Yoruba traditional art", not only paying homage to the influence of his cultural background but also to noting his responsiveness to current events and the postcolonial experience.
286:
In July 1982, he survived a car crash — although an erroneous radio announcement of his death was made after he was pulled unconscious from the wrecked vehicle — and was subsequently given an artificial hip and confined to bed for 18 months.
177:, in Nigeria. The name by which he became known alludes to the fact that he was the only surviving child of seven sets of twins born to his mother, Nigeria having the world's highest twinning rate. His mother was instructed by a
314:, and the US. Around this time, he also bought land in the village of Sekola, planning to turn it into a Yoruba-themed park and tourist destination entitled "Paradise Resort," but it never came to fruition.
221:
this influence in the emphasis on transformation and balance, as well as its embodiment of dualities such as the earthly and the spiritual, past and present, industry and agriculture. Early works such as
256:
show, stating: "No, I don't want to risk being influenced by anyone else. All I am doing is in me already. I am not going to sit down in a studio and learn to mix colors like an
European painter."
442:
252:
He attempted to avoid exposing himself to other painters who could potentially influence his unique individual painting style. Upon his first visit to the United States, he refused to attend a
356:
249:
that was gifted to him by
Georgina Beier. However, as he progressed as an artist, Twins Seven Seven focused more on imagery based on Yoruba folklore and his own dreams.
190:
would etch small incisions on his face with special medicine herbs to ensure his permanency in the physical realm. The etchings remained on his face into adulthood.
344:
on 25 May 2005 "in recognition of his contribution to the promotion of dialogue and understanding among peoples, particularly in Africa and the
African Diaspora".
911:
193:
Twins Seven Seven's introduction to the arts was not through painting, but through dance at the age of 16, part of his inspiration for dance stemming from a
998:
197:
custom that stated that a woman who had birthed twins should dance throughout the streets for money, so Twins Seven Seven danced on his mother's behalf.
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He was born as Omoba Taiwo
Olaniyi Oyewale-Toyeje Oyekale Osuntoki to a father, Aitoyeje, who was a Muslim from
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1018:
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141:. He was an itinerant singer and dancer before he began his career as an artist, first attending in 1964 an
30:
1003:
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271:. He taught at the Ile Ife Black Humanitarian Center in North Philadelphia in the early 1970s along with
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A Dreaming Life: An
Autobiography of Chief Twins Seven-Seven, the Ekerin-Bashorun Atunluto of Ibadanland
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605:
596:
Pemberton, John (2002). Beier, Ulli (ed.). "Ulli Beier and the
Oshogbo Artists of Nigeria".
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793:
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225:(1967) make allusion to concepts or figures in Yoruba cosmology and mythology, such as the
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276:
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153:. Twins Seven Seven went on to become one of the best known artists of the Osogbo School.
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Twins Seven Seven died aged 67 in Ibadan on 16 June 2011, following complications from a
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840:"Yoruba Heritage as Project: Reauthenticating the Osun Grove in Osogbo, Nigeria"
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Mundy-Castle, A. C.; Mundy-Castle, Vicky (1972). "Twins Seven Seven".
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Cosentino, Donald J. (1997). "In
Memoriam: Amos Tutuola, 1920–1997".
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299:
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74:
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291:
226:
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The
African Studies program at Morgan State University Presents
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Some of his early work was influenced by his reading a copy of
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Twins Seven Seven's work was included in the 2015 exhibition
886:"Prince Twins Seven-Seven Named UNESCO Artist for Peace"
912:"Prince Twins Seven-Seven, Nigerian Artist, Dies at 67"
325:
titles, such as when in January 1996, he was named the
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In the 1990s his work appeared in major exhibitions in
814:"We Speak: Black Artists in Philadelphia, 1920s-1970s"
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when a lack of money prompted his return to Nigeria.
357:
We Speak: Black Artists in Philadelphia, 1920s-1970s
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98:
90:
82:
63:
37:
21:
647:Naifeh, Steven W. (1981). "The Myth of Oshogbo".
412:The Glendonwyn Collection (Madrid/Tenerife/Dubai)
259:In 1972, Twins Seven Seven taught in the US at
169:, and a mother, Mary, who was a Christian from
333:of Ibadan. In December 1996, he was named the
937:, Bayreuth: Bayreuth University Press, 1999.
127:Taiwo Olaniyi Oyewale-Toyeje Oyelale Osuntoki
8:
267:and at the Haystack Mountain Crafts School,
184:"go away" again to the spirit realm, so the
129:(3 May 1944 – 16 June 2011) was a Nigerian
204:After performing a show in Oshogbo at the
29:
18:
750:"African Art Today: Four Major Artists".
472:
470:
468:
466:
464:
462:
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415:Patrick and Awele Okigbo (Abuja, Nigeria)
568:"The Land Of Twins | BBC World Service"
478:"Prince Twins Seven-Seven: In Memoriam"
456:
321:Honours he received included Nigerian
7:
591:
589:
519:
517:
515:
513:
511:
509:
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484:, Spring 2012, via Material Culture.
409:Olivier Doria d'Angri (Rome/London)
999:20th-century Nigerian male artists
372:Twins Seven Seven's grandsons are
14:
208:, Twins Seven Seven encountered
994:20th-century Nigerian sculptors
984:21st-century Nigerian painters
979:20th-century Nigerian painters
1:
443:Live at the Caravan of Dreams
246:My Life in the Bush of Ghosts
283:could assume this position.
16:Nigerian artist (1944–2011)
1035:
794:"Prince Twins Seven Seven"
856:10.1162/afar.2009.42.4.24
610:10.1017/s0002020600031577
446:(Caravan of Dreams, 1986)
428:(Caravan of Dreams, 1986)
223:Dreams of the Abiku Child
28:
386:National Football League
157:Early life and education
798:ChickenBones: A Journal
499:ChickenBones: A Journal
342:UNESCO Artist for Peace
279:, whom he influenced.
229:(devil child), and the
1009:People from Kogi State
989:21st-century sculptors
838:Probst, Peter (2009).
598:African Studies Review
435:Ronald Shannon Jackson
149:and Georgina Beier in
145:workshop conducted by
94:Painting and sculpture
216:Career and later life
111:Nike Davies-Okundaye
954:Indigo Arts Gallery
933:Twins Seven-Seven,
818:Woodmere Art Museum
404:Private collections
362:Woodmere Art Museum
917:The New York Times
758:(1): 61–62. 1974.
340:He was designated
943:978-3-927510-61-6
398:Arizona Cardinals
120:Twins Seven Seven
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23:Twins Seven Seven
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691:"Georgina Beier"
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476:Henry Glassie,
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273:Barbara Bullock
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888:. 25 May 2005
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574:. 7 June 2001
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890:. Retrieved
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850:(4): 24–37.
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844:African Arts
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833:
821:. Retrieved
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797:
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752:African Arts
751:
745:
723:(4): 16–17.
720:
717:African Arts
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710:
698:. Retrieved
694:
685:
655:(2): 25–88.
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649:African Arts
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642:
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576:. Retrieved
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241:Amos Tutuola
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119:
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69:(2011-06-16)
67:16 June 2011
974:2011 deaths
969:1944 births
892:26 November
532:(1): 8–13.
420:Discography
394:edge rusher
378:edge rusher
323:chieftaincy
304:Netherlands
143:Mbari Mbayo
83:Nationality
963:Categories
390:BJ Ojulari
337:of Ogidi.
265:California
210:Ulli Beier
206:Mbari Club
175:Kogi State
147:Ulli Beier
113:(divorced)
56:Kogi State
48:3 May 1944
44:1944-05-03
772:0001-9933
729:0001-9933
669:0001-9933
634:143944525
618:0002-0206
546:0001-9933
269:Deer Isle
167:Oyo State
77:, Nigeria
58:, Nigeria
872:57558456
864:20627025
700:14 March
578:14 March
396:for the
380:for the
331:Atunluto
329:and the
243:'s book
187:babalawo
180:babalawo
139:musician
135:sculptor
99:Movement
86:Nigerian
929:Sources
823:10 June
780:3334924
737:3337549
677:3335724
626:1515010
554:3334634
384:of the
360:at the
335:Obatolu
312:Germany
308:England
296:Finland
254:Picasso
131:painter
122:, born
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388:, and
368:Family
349:stroke
302:, the
300:Mexico
231:orisha
195:Yoruba
163:Ibadan
151:Osogbo
107:Spouse
75:Ibadan
868:S2CID
860:JSTOR
776:JSTOR
733:JSTOR
673:JSTOR
630:S2CID
622:JSTOR
550:JSTOR
451:Notes
433:With
392:, an
376:, an
292:Spain
227:abiku
171:Ogidi
124:Omoba
52:Ogidi
939:ISBN
894:2011
825:2022
768:ISSN
725:ISSN
702:2019
665:ISSN
614:ISSN
580:2019
542:ISSN
275:and
234:Osun
137:and
64:Died
38:Born
852:doi
760:doi
657:doi
606:doi
534:doi
497:at
263:in
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
