Iledi Ontotoo: Under the Elephant's Feet, Shrine Detail

This photo is a detail from the highly decorated walls of Ilédì Oǹtótóo, Susanne Wenger’s most sensitive and complex architectural creation. Built in the 1960’s, it is the assembly point for the Ogboni, traditionalists associated with the Earth deity.
The exterior walls are elaborately sculpted with “rapturously emotional scenes” to use Susanne’s words, depicting interactions with the deities. This beautiful wall decoration are the legs of an elephant which Obatala, the Orisa of Creation is riding!
The flow of the Osun River and the connection between earth and water are seen and felt throughout this magnificent shine. As this image shows, the walls of the Shrine literally flow! Other parts of the walls depict interactions with the deities but the undulating Osun River is felt throughout the Shrine.
This Shrine was collapsing and in 2012, 23 people worked on this complex restoration led by Adebisi Akanji, Susanne’s artistic collaborator on all her major monuments and Sangodare Ajala. Very sadly, during this long restoration, Saka Aremu , one of the first artists to be mentored by Susanne, passed away.
This photo is by Adolphus Opara, a very talented photographer who documented the Osun Osogbo Shrines and Sculptures for the Trust over many years. He has exhibited widely at prestigious venues including at the Tate Gallery, London; and at Harvard University, USA, where his photos of the Osun Grove were exhibited as part of a conference on the connections between sacred groves in Nigeria and in Brazil. Adolphus Opara selected this photo out of his collection as one of ten of his favourite works inspired by the Groves.