Susanne Wenger House: Cement Screen Fence by Adebisi Akanji

This photograph shows a delicate cement sculptural detail on Susanne Wenger's house in Osogbo.
The residence contains over 400 works of art, mostly works by artists of the New Sacred Art Movement. Wenger also collected a small number of traditional artefacts including masks and ritual objects, as well as a number of works by contemporary Nigerian artists, such as Bruce Onobrakpeya. Wenger collected this art not only to adorn the house but also to encourage the sale of the works, particularly those those by New Sacred Artists.
The house is a beautiful example of the Brazilian style building that was an important page in Nigeria’s architectural history. Brazilian style houses are vestiges of an era when descendants of slaves from Latin America sought to replicate the Latin style and designs on their return to Nigeria. Wenger’s House is one of the most impressive and best maintained examples of this style of architecture in Nigeria.

Today, her two adopted children, Priest and artist Sangodare Ajala and Chief Priestess Adedoyin Talabi Faniyi, occupy the house. As in Wenger’s time, the house is a meeting point for artists and traditionalists. While the public areas are open to visitors, Wenger's private living quarters and studio are located on the third floor and remain untouched - as a reminder of how she lived and worked in later life.
The residence also contains a cooperative shop run by the New Sacred Art Movement where art and books can be purchased. The Adunni Olorisha Trust is the custodian of the Susanne Wenger House and its contents.