Nigerian Shaman’s Tapestries come to Southbury

Zacheus O. Oloruntoba, born in 1919, is a Yoruba chieftain and heir to the throne of Ogibi, Nigeria. He began painting at 15 years old to explain the powerful lucid dreams he had since age 12. It was not until 1948 that Chief Oloruntoba began working with hand-dyed cords. He credits his mother with teaching him how to use his magical gift of dreams and his grandmother with showing him how to paint. He would be unknown as an artist for years to come, focusing instead on becoming an herbal doctor and chief. The Chief also used the herbs to dye the fiber which he spins. He felt his art was curative to the viewer. His art, though a very useful tool, was only one small part of his healing practice. Working with traditional methods and materials, the Chief translated his clairvoyant dreams into what he calls “paintings for power and life and for the protection from sickness and jealousy.” The exuberant images of elephants, lions, great birds, Yoruba women, tribal musicians, and village huts have curative powers far beyond the delight they give the viewer. Each contains a healing spirit who has arrived from beyond to grapple with a specific problem or concern—as represented by such titles as Two Protection Birds and Good Luck and Harmony.

Chief Zacheus Olowonubi Oloruntoba was not only an artist, but also a herbal specialist and traditional healer. His artwork played a major role in his healing practice since, he noted, the paintings have the power to heal a range of ailments. According to Oloruntoba, the vegetable dyes used in his paintings are not simply colours; rather they are medicines made from traditional roots and herbs that give the paintings therapeutic powers