Ilédì Oǹtótóo: Shrine Wall Art before Restoration

This image is of the interior of the Ilédì Oǹtótóo Shrine during its restoration in 2012. Sangodare Ajala, the leader of the New Sacred Art Movement, artist and priest sits to the right. One of the three roofs has been removed as part of the restoration and natural light illuminates the shrine interior. The old Shrine Wall Art has faded and soon will be removed, as the walls need to be rebuilt and replastered. Fortunately, the New Sacred Art Restoration Team had the know-how and the talent to bring this remarkable structure back to life!
Ilédì Oǹtótóo is Susanne Wenger’s most sensitive and complex architectural creation. Built in the late 1960s and early 1970s, it is the assembly point for the Ògbóni, traditionalists associated with the Earth deity. This remarkable structure is composed of three enormous roofs which rise against the sky like giant lizards, representing the forces of the earth before mankind.
The interior of the Ilédì Oǹtótóo Shrine is richly decorated with wall shrine paintings, a symbolic visual art form of the Yorùbá which communicates messages to the gods.The original paintings were created by Foyeke Ajoke Isola and Sango Tundun who also created the wall Shrine art in Susanne Wenger’s house. They were the only women artists in the New Sacred Art Movement and were in charge of the wall paintings, a traditionally female domain in Yorùbá traditional culture. In 2012 Foyeke's grandson, Kujenyo Kehinde Sango, who had been carried on his grandmother’s back while she created the art in the late 1960s, recreated these magnificent works of art during restoration works.
There is very little written about this unique art form. Bolaji Campbell’s book; “Painting for the Gods: Art and Aesthetics of Yoruba Religious Art”, African World Press; Trenton N.J. 2008 is an excellent reference.