Adebisi Akanji

• Name — Adebisi Akanji • Other Names — Olúwo • Birth Name — Adebisi • Born — 1935 • Birthplace — Nigeria • Citizenship — Nigeria • Occupation — Sculptor, artist • Notable Works — National Museum of World Cultures, Smithsonian Museum of African Art, National Black Theatre in Harlem

In his early life he worked as a bricklayer, and first began to create sculptures as part of a competition to sculpt cement animals based on traditional architectural elements in Yoruba houses.

Akanji is best known for his open-faced cement screens and other sculptural work. He has also worked in textiles. His work often illustrates themes from Yoruba folklore. In collaboration with Susanne Wenger, he worked for a decade on the Osun shrine in Osogbo, Nigeria, and is responsible for many of the shrine's sculptural elements. He also worked with pen/ink drawing and oil painting to create 2-d pieces of art inspired by his cultural identity. • Illustration — A cement sculpture by Adebisi Akanji at the entrance to the house of Susanne Wenger.