About the Artist
Yekini Folorunso (1939 - ?)
Yekini Folorunso (also spelled Folorunsho) was a "brother" and student of the great master of aluminum relief, Asiru Olatunde. At this point it is hard to determine whether he was a half-brother or a more distant relative of Asiru. He was the father of artist Ishola Folorunso (1949-2021), and the grandfather of Toyin Folorunso (1976-2023). We understand that he is deceased, but do not have a date.
The book Nigerian Art: A Who’s Who and Bibliography by Bernice M. Kelly and Janet L. Stanley, published for the Smithsonian institution Libraries in 1993, includes the following information on Yekini Folorunso:
Yekini FOLORUNSHO Sculptor
Birth: August 20, 1939.
Training: Originally a blacksmith, later trained as a jeweler; worked with his older “brother,” Asiru, for two years before going on his own.
Profile: Makes repoussé works in copper, brass and aluminum, producing panels illustrating aspects of Yoruba religious and secular life.
Group Exhibitions
"Silver Jubilee National Art Exhibition," Federal University of Technology, Owerri, September 26-October 1, 1985.
"Contemporary Arts from Western Nigeria," Zamana Gallery, London, October 20, 1988-January 8, 1989.
"Reflections from Africa," Onira Arts Africa, Ottawa, Canada, April 5-20, 1990.
Commissions
Sculpted relief panels, copper, brass and aluminum, National Black Theatre, Harlem, New York, USA.
Public Collections
Museum für Völkerkunde, Frankfurt, Germany. Copper relief: one untitled.
