By Onus Obinyan
This heavily melanated beauty” is one of the top 5 female Artists in Nigeria.
A supreme Muralist, Painter, Henna Artist, Mixed Media Artist, Activist, Traditionalist and Culture Connoisseur…she calls herself, the “King of Colors”.
Eletu Fasilat Omolola aka Fasel has worked on countless walls and surfaces across the Nigerian landscape, becoming a quiet force to reckon with on the Naija art scene.
We caught up with this very busy artist recently, and she told us;
“I was contacted to do the murals for the Oworin Irosun Ifa Temple in Iyana Logbo, Ota by the Oluwo himself. He loved the work I did and referred me to the Osa Oloyan Ifa temple on Joke Ayo, A.I.T. road, Alagbado. Also, I did the murals for the popular Esu Awele shrine in Ibadan, after I got a call from the Media Director of Ategbe Media in respect of the “Walk for Esu” event termed “Esu is not Satan”.
So, you see…my work and passion takes me on unexpected but beautiful journeys that open my eyes every single time to the endless bounties of human existence and the depths of African spirituality and cultures. So, whenever I pick up my brushes and face walls or surfaces anywhere I am called or contracted, I feel like a Therapist who uses colors to heal the world. I feel alive, free and regarding these Ifa temple jobs, I feel deeply connected to my ancestry…you know…my roots”.
An indigenous spiritual tradition of the Yoruba people, Ifa originates in Nigeria, and is based on a belief in a supreme being, Olodumare, and an attendant system of divination and wisdom. A holistic system that encompasses history, spirituality and morality, Ifa includes the worship of deities called Orisa, the belief in ancestorship, and a curiously mathematical and sophisticated divination system overseen by priests called Babalawo.
