When we say “education is the key to success”, we do not only mean formal education. Time and time again, many great minds of this world have proved that those who took their informal education very well still have a great shot at success. For the Nigerian example, we present to you Nike Davies-Okundaye, aka “Nike Olaniyi” or “Mummy Nike” or “Nike Twin Seven Seven”.
She may not be known by many in Nigeria. But abroad, she is revered by presidents and kings as the foremost designer on the west coast of Africa. She is an international expert in adire making, dyeing, weaving, painting and embroidery.
Her first lecturing exploit was in 1974 when she lectured some people with doctoral degrees on the arts. Another major “lecturing exploit” was when she was invited by the Italian government in 2000 to train young Nigerian sex workers on how to use their hands to engage in creative ventures. Since then, she has lectured and held workshops in several noble institutions across the world like: Harvard, Columbus, Edmonton, Ohio and in Los Angeles, among others.
The works of the 63-year old have won the hearts of former US presidents, Bill Clinton and George Bush, who during their visits to Nigeria sought to see the face of the woman behind Nike Arts Gallery.
Mummy Nike Okundaye feels she lost the opportunity to get a formal education after her mother died when she was just six year. She was taken to live with her elderly grandmother who many feared was too old to raise a child as expected.
Hers was a family of craftsmen. An indigene of Ogidi, Ijumu Local Government Area, Kogi State, her father was a farmer and basket weaver. Her grandmother, who then was the leader of the cloth weavers in the community, was the first person she got her basic art lessons from.
At that young age of six, she was already weaving many things including the traditional Yoruba outfit, adire. The old granny taught young Nike discipline and resilience and showed her the possibility of owning her own fashion store.
Nike is today a world acclaimed artist and textile designer. She is most outstanding in paintings and design of adire, beadwork and batik. Her works are celebrated in major capitals of the world, with her designs exhibited in countries like the USA, Belgium, Germany, Japan and Italy, among others.
She is married to a supportive husband, Reuben Okundaye, a retired commissioner of police. Their son, Olabayo Olaniyi, graduate of College Santa Fe, is also an artist.
The post Meet Nike Okundaye: An Uneducated Nigerian Who Lectures At Harvard And Other Top Universities appeared first on KokoFeed - Nigerian News For The Young Generation.
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