Gasali Adeyemo
Get to Know Gasali
Gasali is from a small rural village, Ofatedo, located in Osun State Nigeria. He is the third of five children; his father is a farmer, his mother a trader. Gasali realized his artistic potential and entrepenurial spirit early in life. He drew sketches of people at weddings and other social events in order to earn money. This, along with hard work on village farms, allowed him to fund his education through high school.
With a desire to improve his creative abilities, Gasali went to the Nike Center for Arts and Culture in Osogbo, Nigeria from 1990 - 1996. During the first two years, he mastered the arts of batik painting on fabric, idigo dyeing, quilt making, embroidery, appliqué, and more. For the following four years, he spent long days teaching these skills to incoming students at the Nike Center, as the Center grew in popularity and drew people from around the world.
In 1995, Gasali and five other Nigerian artists were part of an exhibit in Bayreuth, Germany. This was a big break after which his career as an artist took hold.
In 1996, he traveled to the University of Iowa at the invitation of one of his students from the Nike Center, where his work continued to draw attention and acclaim. Doors kept opening and soon he was traveling the world, exhibiting and teaching the traditional work of his Yoruba culture. Snow Farm is lucky and honored to have been part of Gasali's success story and also to continue partnering with him in new ways.