A CONTEXTUAL ANALYSIS OF MUYIDEEN ADIO JAJI'S STUNTED SCULPTURES

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Department of Environmental Design

ABSTRACT
Muyideen Adio Jaji is a contemporary sculptor, who has been producing sculptures, both in naturalism and abstraction. He has also delved into the exploration of stunted figures. The problem of this research therefore, is to outline the context that locates his stunted sculptures. The research, thus aims at analysing the content of Jaji’s stunted sculptures. The objectives are to: identify and categorise the stunted sculptures produced by Jaji, examine the media and style employed in the production of such sculptures and to discuss the ideological and philosophical basis for such sculptures. Having established painterly movements like Onaism and Araism from their exploration of the Yoruba aesthetics; in literature, there is need to document the contributions of Jaji, to stunted sculptures. The justification of the research lies in the foregoing; as well as, the research’s capacity to tell the African story from an artistic point of view. The research is significant for bringing to fore, salient issues imbedded in Nigeria’s various traditions and cultures. In analyzing the stunted sculptures produced by Jaji, Akpang’s (2013) concept of Hybrid Aesthetics was adopted; outlining the cultural context that forms the basis for his artistic creations. By so doing, cogent elements in such cultures are discussed, consequently making this research a means for cultural understanding and appreciation. The findings made from the fieldwork and analysis, established that the artist’s exploration of figures, resulted into the production of ten stunted figures, between 2008 and 2015. Adopting the partial abstraction approach, the sculptures were produced in two major materials; terracotta and fibreglass. As an artist that derives inspiration from the environment, the stunted figures he produced were majorly propelled by the symbolic artistic traits that are imbedded in the traditional Yoruba Aesthetics. The study concludes by recommending that Art Historians should research further, into various indigenous artistic.