About Us
About Kòbọmọjẹ́ Artist Residency
Kòbọmọjẹ́ Artist Residency is an international residency program, which offers a place for artists to develop creative projects, and for critics, writers, curators, and scholars to conduct research connected to art and culture. Our goal is to create a supportive environment that advances the work of the residents, while they engage with Ibadan as a place. By providing residency opportunities, workshops, and fellowships, we hope to contribute to reestablishing Ibadan as a center for artistic expression whose impact reaches across Nigeria and the global artistic community. Residents can participate in the program for 1 - 6 months. Projects that can be developed and worked on at Kòbọmọjẹ́ range across visual art, photography, multimedia, curatorial projects, and historiographic research.
Kòbọmọjẹ́ and the City of Ibadan
Known for its rich cultural heritage, Ibadan has always been a site of great artistic development and movements. In 1961, the Mbari Club was founded in the city, and throughout the 60s, it greatly impacted the modernist movement in Nigerian art, with notable alumni such as Wole Soyinka, Uli Beier, Christopher Okigbo, and J.P Clark.
We encourage residents to explore the resources the city of Ibadan offers, such as its unique culture, traditional practices, and its academic and research institutions. The history and architecture of the city are important touchstones and vital sources of inspiration. Places to visit may include Mapo Hall, Cocoa House, Booksellers, the University of Ibadan, the National Archive, the Obafemi Awolowo University, Osun Osogbo Groove and Iseyin Local Textile Factory.
The Site
The residency is situated at Kòbọmọjẹ́ Court in Iyaganku, a central district of Ibadan, southwestern Nigeria. The site is the restored home of the late humanist and political activist, Alhaja Suliat Adedeji (1944 - 96). The building is named after Balogun Ola Kòbọmọjé̩—the great grandfather of Alhaja Suliat Adedeji, and the 11th Baale of Ibadan between 1870-1871. He was widely known for protecting the interests of the people of Ibadan against colonial tax imposition, as they emerged from a long-drawn inter-tribal war. Spread across a split-level building designed by G. Cappa Plc in the 1980s and nestled in the hilly Iyaganku landscape, Kòbọmọjẹ́ Court prides itself on being an impressive work of tropical modernist architecture. The site—its location and design—fosters creativity and an immersion in architectural space, culture, and history.
Suliat Adedeji (1944 - 1996)
Suliat Adedeji was a woman activist, business mogul and prominent political figure in Nigeria. From the late 1970s to 1996, she triumphed as a political stalwart despite being female. Her interests span youth empowerment and grassroot engagement. Today, our residency program is nestled in her main residence, Kòbọmọjẹ́ court, where she lived until 1996.
Board Members
Olu Amoda
