Emmanuel Taiwo Jegede is a prominent Nigerian poet, storyteller, and artist known for his proficiency in painting, printmaking, and sculpture, using various materials such as wood, bronze, and ceramics. Born in June 1943 in Ayegbaju Ekiti, a Yoruba-speaking region of Nigeria, Jegede began his artistic journey with an apprenticeship in sculpture under Pa Akerejola in Ekiti. He furthered his studies at the Yaba School of Technology in Lagos, learning from Edo sculptor Osagie Osifo. In 1963, he traveled to the UK, attending institutions like Willesden College of Technology and Hammersmith College of Art, where he studied decorative arts, interior design, sculpture, and bronze casting. Jegede’s artistic career took off with his first exhibition in 1968 at the Woodstock Gallery in London. He later established a studio and foundry in Riverside, London, in 1970. His work gained recognition in the 1970s when it was featured on book covers, including novels by Buchi Emecheta. In 1977, Jegede was part of the group of Black artists and photographers representing the UK at the Second World Festival of Black Arts and African Culture (Festac ’77) in Lagos, Nigeria. During this period, he was also an artist-in-residence at the Keskidee Centre, the UK’s first arts center for the Black community, where he interacted with influential artists and figures. Jegede played a pivotal role in founding the Rainbow Art Group in 1978, an initiative that showcased its first exhibition the following year. His work has been featured in various exhibitions over the years, including “Afro-Caribbean Art” and “Transforming the Crown: African, Asian and Caribbean Artists in Britain 1966 – 1996.” More recently, Jegede’s art was part of the 2015 exhibition “No Colour Bar: Black British Art in Action 1960–1990” at the Guildhall Art Gallery in London. He also contributed to his son Tunde Jegede’s theatrical project “The Griot’s Tale,” which was showcased in 2013.
