Raimi Taofik: Working on Restoring a Decorative Wall

Raimi Taofik was a bricklayer when he joined the New Sacred Art restoration team in 2016. He was recruited by Sangodare Ajala first to restore the cement floor surface outside of the Iledi Ontotoo Shrine. He became fascinated by the work and showed enormous talent as an artisan and is now developing his artistic skills. When funds became available to continue with the restoration in 2016, Raimi Taofik was one of the first to be recruited to the team.
In this photo, Raimi is applying a mosaic of small stones on this decorative wall which is on the main road which runs through the Osun Grove.
Background:
In 2014 the Osun Osogbo Grove faced a crisis. Only two of the original members of the New Sacred Art Movement were active and able to work in the Grove: Adebisi Akanji and Adeyemi Oseni. The other elderly artists had either passed away or not fit enough to work. The Adunni Olorisha Trust (AOT) estimated that at least five more years of work would be needed to save the art but the AOT did not have a young team trained. The elderly artists had been reluctant to pass along their knowledge; and only one young man, Adebisi Nurudeen, had been trained in this complex artform.
In 2015 the AOT launched the “Save Our Art: Save Our Heritage” Campaign under the chairmanship of art and heritage patron, Olufemi Akinsanya. The Trust set a goal in 2015 to raise enough money to recruit and train up a team to complete all the restoration work outstanding in the Grove within five years. Five years of secure employment for the team members together with consistent training were the cornerstones of the plan.
Sangodare Ajala, leader of the New Sacred Art Movement, artist, priest and son of Susanne Wenger, took on the challenge of recruiting the team and leading the restoration with the help of his able Administrator, Toyin Ajayi. Adebisi Akanji, master artist mentored and trained by Wenger for 40 years, was part of the team along with his son, Nurudeen, who he had mentored himself. Adebisi Nurudeen was willing to mentor others.
A full team of 18 was recruited and, from 2016 to mid-2019, the team worked together full-time. Thereafter the AOT had to slow down the work for financial reasons and the team only worked in rotation, part-time between mid-2019 to the present. A huge amount was accomplished during this period, but there is still much to be done. But now there is a trained team of skilled restoration artists, artisans and labourers in place, and the work will go on.