Dr. Isaiah Tunde Ogunjimi is a current Postdoctoral Research Fellow with the NRF/DST South African Research Chairs Initiative (SARChI) in Geopolitics and the Arts of Africa, Arts of Africa and Global Souths research programme at the Fine Arts Department, Rhodes University, Makhanda, South Africa. He is an art historian and a Faculty member in the Department of Fine and Applied Arts, Ọbáfẹ́mi Awólọ́wọ University, Ilé-Ifẹ̀, Nigeria. Ogunjimi earned a National Certificate in Education (NCE) from Federal College of Education, Kontagora, Nigeria, where he graduated with a Distinction in Fine and Applied Arts, and as the best-graduating student in 2005. He obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree (B.A. Ed.) in Education Fine Arts, specializing in Art History with a Second-Class (Honours) Upper Division in 2011. He also holds a Master of Arts degree (M.A.) and a Doctor of Philosophy degree (Ph.D.) in African Art Studies from the same University in 2016 and 2021, respectively.

His research interest is based on people’s perception of art forms and their relevance in the built environment, with special interest in Public Art, African Art objects and Art in Churches. Ogunjimi’s research emphasises the essence and relevance of art forms to the socio-cultural lifestyle of the African people. His interest has also enabled him to unveil the symbolic meanings of motifs, patterns and icons that reinforce the essence of African culture and the people’s worldview. He has presented and published papers in this regard. His PhD research focused on art in orthodox churches in Ọ̀ṣun State, Nigeria. The study examined and classified the forms of art in orthodox churches in Ọ̀ṣun State; examined the functions and relevance of art in the Orthodox churches; interpreted the meanings of the identified art, and constructed the history of art in orthodox churches in Ọ̀ṣun State, Nigeria.

Dr. Ogunjimi’s present research work interrogates further the subject of his PhD. thesis “African Art  in the Art of Orthodox Churches”. It focuses on one of the major research findings that the majority of carved wooden doors in orthodox churches in the study area was attributed to Late Làmídì Ọ̀lọ́nàdé Fákẹ́yẹ who was an internationally acclaimed traditional African carver and one of the artists who was employed by the western missionaries to create art for churches. The dominance of the traditional Yorùbá style with similar forms in the art of many orthodox churches in Nigeria reveals the fact. These artworks were depicted using black wood with native attire worn for the images, apart from a few of them with Western attire. This is to bring new faith closer to the new converts. Therefore, his work in progress focuses on the influence of traditional African Art and artists on the art of the orthodox churches in Nigeria. It examines the irony of how the traditional African art rejected by the missionaries were eventually used as a tool for winning convert.

Ogunjimi has attended several conferences, trainings, and workshops. He has been invited as an art historian to participate in and evaluate the third edition of Art X Lagos, which is West Africa’s premier international art fair, taking along with him the students of Ọbáfẹ́mi Awólọ́wọ University, Ilé-Ifẹ̀, Nigeria in 2018. He was awarded Jimoh Ibrahim Writing Grant for Ph.D. Student during his doctoral degree programme in 2021 by The Postgraduate College, Ọbáfẹ́mi Awólọ́wọ̀ University, Nigeria. He was also awarded a prize of excellence as the best-graduating student (Distinction) in Fine and Applied Arts at the Federal College of Education, Kontagora, Nigeria, 2005. Dr. Ogunjimi is a member of the Society of Nigerian Artists and the Nigerian Field Society.

Last Modified: Wed, 29 Nov 2023 10:38:08 SAST