Susanne Wenger sculpting Ọbàtálá

The statue of Ọbàtálá was sculpted by Susanne Wenger in the early 1970's, who was by then initiated priestess and devotee of Ọbàtálá.
Born in Austria, Wenger lived in Osogbo from the late 1950s until her death, having left her indelible mark in helping to catapult the town to world renown. Already a successful international artist who had lived in Vienna and Paris, she arrived in Ibadan in Nigeria with her then husband, Ulli Beier, in 1950. The couple later moved to Ede, then on to Ilobu, finally arriving in Osogbo. At Ede, Wenger met Obatala priest, Ajagemo, who became her mentor and friend. She gained knowledge of the complexities and spiritual dimensions of Yoruba religious traditions; she was first initiated as a priestess of Obatala, the deity of creation, and later into the Ogboni and Sanponna Societies.