Explore the Ògbóni Shrine - Ilédì Oǹtótóo

Ilédì Oǹtótóo was created by Susanne Wenger, Adebisi Akanji and the New Sacred Art Movement in the Ọ̀ṣun Òṣogbo Groves in the 1960s.
It serves as a meeting point for the Ògbóni, a traditional society 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.

Beneath the sloping roof of the left wing of the Ògbóni Shrine is a sculpture of the unique greeting gesture of the society’s members right next to the intricate depiction of a water lily. 

The intricate sculpture of the waterlily.

The centrepieces of Ilédì Oǹtótóo are the powerfully sculpted high posts that support the roof and symbolically protect the inner sanctum of the shrine. 

Underneath the roof of the right wing, Ọbàtálá, the god of creation and light, rises from the white elephant’s forehead, symbolizing that divine transcendence originates from Mother Earth. 

The flow of the Ọ̀ṣun river and the connection between earth and water are seen and felt throughout the sculpted exterior and interior of this magnificent shrine.

The entry to the shrine is underneath the middle roof and the doorway is in the shape of a giant paw print, referencing the connection of the Ògbóni society to the earth.

The interior is richly decorated with wall-paintings, a symbolic visual art form typical to the Yorùbá.
The original paintings were created by  Foyeke Ajoke and Songo Tundun.
Foyeke’s grandson, Kujenyo Kehinde Sango, recreated these magnificent works of art in 2012.

This shrine has had many restorations over the decades but had nearly completely collapsed when the New Sacred Art Restoration Team, led by Adebisi Akanji and Sangodare Ajala, rescued and rebuilt it in 2012.

Luckily, the New Sacred Art Restoration Team, led by Nurudeen Adebisi, was able to restore the right wing of the shrine after the tree-damage.