"For Learning and Culture": The History of Early Art Training at the University of Ife (1969–1975). Issue 3 (1st September 2016) - Sytsma, Janine
Abstract : This study addresses the early history of art training in the Institute of African Studies at the University of Ife (1969–1975). The Institute's predilection for research on Yoruba studies carried over to courses, including art and art history courses for education students in the Faculty of Education. These students found inspiration in the surrounding Yoruba city of Ile-Ife, along with Institute-sponsored cultural programs, and they began to develop postcolonial art practices in which Yoruba cultural production provided the primary conceptual framework. Their works served as models for subsequent fine arts students, and in the Department of Fine Arts, established in 1976, experiments with Yoruba aesthetics became increasingly widespread and nuanced.