Kehinde Adepegba, PhD
Dept. of Art and Industrial Design
Lagos State University of Science and Technology,
Ikorodu Lagos Nigeria.
The Yoruba man and Òrìşà
The Yorùbá theology places man at a vantage position. He is the one who manages the Yorùbá ecosystem situated on Earth. He is òrìṣà himself because his orí connects him to Olódùmarè, the one who is the Keeper of his destiny. Man, within the abundant natural resources in his environments developed one of the most complex cultures where man and god now interact. These resources, which include wood, plants, metal, and clay equally influenced the quality and quantity of the production of their artworks and art objects, which serve mainly religious purposes.
Therefore, it is worthy of note that the Yorùbá indigenous art has always reflected their composite socio-cultural and religious beliefs. One such is the belief in the existence of the celestial realm and the constant and continuous interactions between that realm and the terrestrial world where man is in charge. This indicates that the Yorùbá cosmos is one and there is no clear-cut demarcation between the physical and the spiritual realms of the people.
In essence, death is not a total end to a man’s life, but a transition to another realm from where the dead can still interact with the living. Therefore, in the indigenous thought of the Yorùbá, nature consists of spiritual and physical phenomenon where both the physical and spiritual realms comingle and operates as one entity without demarcation.
At the helm of Yorùbá cosmos is Olódùmarè, the Supreme Being, who controls both the spiritual and physical. Assisting Olódùmarè in administering the universe are several deities called òrìṣ àand spirits who serve as intermediaries between Olódùmarè and the living. The ancestors, also known as ará-ọ̀run (heavenly beings), are a subclass of the spirits and they pay intermittent visits to the physical world to help solve problems relating to their households and communities.
Consequently, we cannot undermine the place of the òrìṣà in the scheme of things especially as they help man through his orí to have access to Olódùmarè. When the òrìṣ àare venerated, it is only a means to reach Olódùmarè the Supreme Being. They are powerful and central to the culture and religion of the people. There are enough òrìṣà to take care of all the different aspects of a man’s life. Their roles cannot be underestimated in all the areas of man’s endeavours including but not limited to life, success, love, child-bearing, health, harvest, and death.
Adeyinka Olaiya, an international and contemporary Yorùbá Artist and writer is using this exhibition to reenact the roles of artists in producing art in the service of religion. By this, he is not only honouring the Yorùbá belief system and worldview but also promoting the culture of the people by documenting it visually and symbolically. The celebration of òrìṣà by Adeyinka Olaiya is celebrating man, his Ori , the òrìṣà, and Olódùmarè.
Post written by Dr. Kehinde Adepegba
