Bintu Lamidi and Ladunni Keshinro: New Sacred Art Women

Two members of the New Sacred Art Movement Restoration Team, Bintu Lamidi (carrying head pan) and Princess Oladunni Keshinro are seen working in the Grove in this photo. Lamidi mixed the cement for Susanne Wenger up until she stopped working in the Groves in the late 1990s at the age of 85. Bintu, who is almost 80, works as both a labourer and an artisan. She mixes cement and assists in the first steps of the restoration process. She works most closely with her old friend and New Sacred Art artist, Adeyemi Oseni. Lamidi also creates imaginative small cement figures sold in the shop in Wenger’s house on Ibokun Road. Keshinro is a priestess and princess. She is one of the main priestesses that accompanies the ritual objects brought to the main Osun Shrine during the annual Osun Festival. Keshinro understands the significance of preserving the Shrines and the meanings behind these incredible works of art deeply.