Susanne Wenger

Susanne Wenger
Born(1915-07-04)4 July 1915
Died12 January 2009(2009-01-12) (aged 93)
Oshogbo, Osun, Nigeria
NationalityAustrian (1915 – 2009)
Nigerian (1959 – 2009)
EducationSchool of Applied Arts in Graz
Alma materAcademy of Fine Arts Vienna
MovementOshogbo school
Websitesusannewenger-aot.org

Susanne Wenger MFR, also known as Adunni Olorisha (4 July 1915 – 12 January 2009), was an Austrian-Nigerian artist and Yoruba priestess [1] who expatriated to Nigeria. Her main focus was the Yoruba culture and she was successful in building an artist cooperative in Osogbo.[2] She partnered with local artists in Osogbo to redevelop and redecorate the Osun Osogbo Sacred Grove with sculptures and carvings depicting the various activities of the Orishas.

Wenger was a leading advocate for the preservation of the Osun Grove. Due to her efforts, the grove was made a national monument in 1965, and was later marked as a world heritage site.[3]

  1. ^ "Susanne Wenger".
  2. ^ Obituary, theguardian.com, 26 March 2009; accessed 2 April 2017.
  3. ^ Ogundiran, Akinwumi (2014). "The Osun-Osogbo Grove as a Social Common and an Uncommon Ground: An Analysis of Patrimonial Patronage in Postcolonial Nigeria". International Journal of Cultural Property. 21 (2): 173–198. doi:10.1017/S0940739114000058. ISSN 0940-7391. S2CID 162599099.