The Times and Artistry of Segun Adeku: A Neo-Traditional African Artist

This study focuses on the life and artistry of Segun Adeku, a neo-traditional African artist. The study brings to limelight the artist’s creative background, ideologies and views about the society, as well as the styles and techniques that have shaped Adeku’s artistry over time. This study was conducted through participant observation method, personal contacts and informal oral interviews with the artist. Other information was sourced through exhibition catalogues of the artist’s works. The study examines artistic development of Segun Adeku, his sources of inspiration, and critically appraises his works of art. The findings of the study reveal that Adeku is a dexterous neo-traditional African artist who has been preoccupied with forms that are heavily ornamented, using repeated hues and lines to express Yoruba folklores and indigenous stories that preach love and harmony in the society. The study concluded that with Adeku, the theory of the universality of experience holds, whether trained or untrained artists, the difference is only in their sociological make-up. However, this study is neither definitive nor exhaustive in its approach; rather, it serves as an insight into documentation of African artistry so as to avoid going into the oblivion.