Connections Consulting Company

Born October 1, 1919 in Kogi State Nigeria, Chief Zacheus O. Oloruntoba is an internationally acclaimed artist, herbalist, spiritual leader and lecturer. He is a Yoruba chieftain and heir to the throne of Ogidi the city where he was born. A practicing tribal shaman, the Chief is a recognized clairvoyant and consultant in herbal medicine at Georgetown University.

The Chief’s art has touched the lives and reached the homes of many. Collectors include: Queen Elizabeth II, David Rockefeller, Mohammad Ali, Jazz musician, Ornette Coleman, Jesse Jackson, Citibank Chairman Richard Parsons, Lisa Downing and a host of art connoisseurs and galleries such as the Studio Museum in Harlem. The Chief’s work has been exhibited by the Museum of Modern Art and reproduced on more than 30 UNICEF greeting cards.

Throughout his work Chief Oloruntoba attempts to preserve the traditional visual imageries that once guided an African’s perception and philosophy of life. One of his paintings was voted best piece of traditional art by UNICEF in 1991.

Chief Oloruntoba’s paintings are unique and deeply rooted in spirituality. His philosophy is: an artist must be quiet; it is better to listen than to talk. He communicates actively with ancestral spirits. His works of art are inspired by spirits that visit him in his dreams. They represent power and life and are used for the protection from sickness and jealousy. Each work of art contains a healing spirit that is called upon to address a particular problem or concern as represented by such titles as Solve the Problem or Five African Spirits.

The Chief is able to create his masterful artwork by the inspirational words and traditions of Yoruba culture. The use of vegetable dye is an intrinsic part of the culture and the foundation for much of his work. The dyes, he says, are not simple colors, [but] are simple medicines that endow different paintings with different therapeutic powers, depending on the figures and the colors used. Each painting is used as a therapeutic force. For example, the artwork entitled Solve Problem is used to overcome jealousy and bad luck. Troubled clients are asked to ingest the plant medicine and perform elaborate midnight rituals in front of the artwork.

In the Chief’s paintings you will find abstract images that represent different spirits. One common image in the Chief’s work is the big eyed, big nosed faces these are spirits that protect people. The Ojola, which means snake in Yoruba is very powerful, it is the power of God in you. Also among the Chief’s work are images of elephants, women, tribal musicians and village huts which all have curative powers.

The media used in the Chief’s work are rice paper, canvas and appliqué cloth. The works of art featured on the Connections Consulting Company’s website are made from native Nigerian plants, with colors and herbs chosen for their curative properties. The paintings on a rice paper are fashioned with spray paint. The

tapestries are made from a hand spun silky fiber. The silky patterned fiber are applied with wheat paste on canvas. The unique cloth portraits made with woven threads are intricately painted with fine strokes.

I had the opportunity to befriend Chief Oloruntoba when I lived in Kaduna State Nigeria 1995-1996 and worked on an Africare Women’s Literacy for Health project. We share a very special father daughter relationship. While working and traveling in various places in Nigeria I was able to absorb and appreciate the different aspects of Nigerian culture and history. I was stimulated and captivated by the knowledge, wisdom and storytelling of local Griots. Chief Oloruntoba was one of my teachers. He shared his knowledge when we met over a meal. I’ve been to Chief Oloruntoba’s home where his works are produced and stored. Chief also took me to Oshogbo Nigeria, the place where many Yoruba artists started and the home of the newly resurrected Sacred Groves. The works described and featured on this website are original works of art signed by the artist.

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Title: Yemoja
Artist: Chief Z.O. Oloruntoba
Medium: spray paint
Media: rice paper
Origin: Nigeria
Year: 1992
Dimension: 28 1/2 X 39

This original painting depicts a mermaid featured in bright and festive reds of varying shades. Bordering this painting is a gold plated and persimmon matting. The classically designed frame gives the painting its decadent and antique look and feel.

Yemoja also known as the Osun goddess, is based on the myth Mammy Water the fish goddess. Yemoja is also the protector of the “sacred groves” or the “spirit of the forest” in Oshogbo, Nigeria. The sacred groves serve as a place of worship for all followers of the Yoruba faith. It is during the Oshun festival, marked by music, dancing and ritual sacrifice, that those in the procession walk to the river where they make their sacrifice to the goddess Oshun and cleanse themselves.

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Title: The Emir of the Northern Part of Nigeria
Artist: Chief Z.O. Oloruntoba
Medium: spray paint
Media: rice paper
Origin: Nigeria
Year: 1993
Dimension: 28 ¼ X 38

This original painting illustrates an Emir holding a staff dressed in a gauze-like head wrap that reveals only his eyes and nose. He is clothed in a royal gown draped with beads. Bordering this painting is a grass green mat trimmed in gold. The framing has an antique look and feel.

The Emir is the traditional ruler of northern Nigeria. Dressed in his regalia including traditional beads usually used in prayer, the Emir reigns as a larger than life image for Muslim followers. The Emir makes a special appearance each year at the Durbar festival at the end of Ramadan on horseback and draws a number of spectators out.

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Title: Traditional Native Music from the North Healer
Artist: Chief Z.O. Oloruntoba
Medium: spray paint
Media: rice paper
Origin: Nigeria
Year: 1988
Dimension: 281/2 X 39

Bordered by a gold classic frame and a red matting with gold trim, this original painting illustrates two musicians clad in native dress and each bearing a traditional instrument.

Oloruntoba’s use of pen and ink is used to accentuate the elaborateness and level of detail represented in traditional African cloth.

These musicians most commonly found in the Northern part of the country are known as healers of the traditional faith. Adorned in traditional African attire and equipped with the talking drum (gongon) and flute, they are present at all cultural occasions including naming ceremonies and weddings to sing praises to families and honorees.

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Title: African Women Native Doctor (part II)
Artist: Chief Z.O. Oloruntoba
Medium: spray paint
Media: rice paper
Origin: Nigeria
Year: 1990
Framing: Ancient Egyptian motif
Dimension: 30 X 40

In all the Chief’s artwork, women are represented as having spiritual powers. In this painting the Chief portrays a Fulani woman wearing a cowrie shell necklace and other beaded jewelry. She is holding a calabash in one hand and stirring its contents with the other hand. She is wearing native attire and headdress which stands out for its intricate design. Her prominence is magnetized by the ancient Egyptian frame and oriental red matting trimmed in gold.

Fulani women are from the Fulani tribe; they are nomadic. In more primitive times cowrie shells were used to trade with; cowrie shells and cattle were indicative of a Fulani’s wealth.

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Title: Oshun Festival
Artist: Chief Z.O. Oloruntoba
Medium: mixed media (hand-spun fiber & silk threads)
Media: Canvas
Origin: Nigeria
Date:1991
Dimension: 33 X 41

This elaborately designed piece of work is a multitude of silk threads. This tapestry is a unique blend of color, fabric and imagery. Bordered in an antique gold frame and French lavender suede matting, this silk tapestry brings the Oshun festival depicted here to life.

The Oshun festival occurs in the sacred groves of Oshogbo every August. During this time homage is paid to the goddess of the river (Yemoja). The colorful ceremony attracts people of all walks of life from all over the world; it marks the renewal of bonds between Yoruba gods and the people. Along the procession towards the river are a number of vendors that sell various goods at the festival. This picture depicts a child vendor selling kola nuts in the midst of the procession who is stopped by one of the worshippers along the way. The backdrop of this illustration is the Yoruba village in which the festival takes place. The three African spirits in the picture serve to represent the power of humanity and the need to restore and preserve life.

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Title: Unknown
Artist: Chief Z.O. Oloruntoba
Medium: paint
Media: Kaduna cloth
Origin: Nigeria
Date: 1976
Dimension: 36 ¼ X 41

This illustration is consistent with Oloruntoba’s general theme found in many of his works—big eyed, big nosed faces which are spirits that protect people. In the foreground is an animal-like spirit coveted by Oloruntoba’s powerful snake the ojola that represent power and the God within. The two shrines featured in this work yield prominence to the African villages that surround them. The level of detail illustrated in this work is astounding –another complement to Oloruntoba’s craft.

Bordered by an ancient Egyptian frame and a Chinese red matting trimmed in gold, this artistry is a striking piece to sit over a mantelpiece and serve as a great conversation piece.

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Five African Spirits (Not for Sale, Viewing Only)