Our Artists
Nike Okundaye
Chief (Mrs.) Nike Monica Okundaye, fondly known as "MAMA NIKE," is a highly respected artist and philanthropist born on May 23, 1951, in Ogidi-Ijumu, Nigeria. She is the founder and proprietor of the Nike Centre for Art and Culture in Osogbo, where she provides free training in various forms of arts to Nigerians. With no government assistance, Nike established the center in 1983, initially rescuing 20 young girls from the streets and teaching them artistic skills, offering them food, materials, and accommodation. Over the years, the center has trained more than 3000 young Nigerians, particularly violated and abused women, who now sustain themselves through art. Nike's influence extends beyond Nigeria, as she receives students from various African countries who come to study textile art at her center.
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In addition to her cultural center, Nike is the Owner/Curator of the Nike Art Galleries located in Lagos, Osogbo, Ogidi-Ijumu, Abuja, and a newly established gallery space in Huntington, NY. In 1996, she established a weaving center in Ogidi-Ijumu, employing and empowering over 200 rural women in Aso-Oke textile weaving. She also founded an Art and Culture research center in Piwoyi village, Abuja, in 2002, featuring an art gallery and a textile museum—the first of its kind in Nigeria. Nike's dedication to promoting African cultural heritage led her to build a five-floor ultra-modern cultural art center in Lagos' Lekki Peninsula in 2009. This center, along with her second textile museum, has transformed the neglected art and culture landscape in Nigeria, becoming a prominent tourist destination.
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Nike's exceptional artwork has garnered international acclaim since her first exhibition in the Americas in 1974. She has participated in 38 group exhibitions including the Freize Masters in London and the Smithsonian Museum while also holding over 116 solo exhibitions worldwide. Her works are found in public and private collections globally, including schools, colleges, universities, palaces, and museums. Scholars have extensively written about her art, reflecting its significance. Nike's centers attract a diverse range of visitors, including politicians, diplomats, scholars, businesspeople, researchers, children, and tourists, seeking to experience her artistic and cultural contributions.
