In June 2023, Textile Center welcomed artist Gasali Onireke Adeyemo to the Twin Cities for a special public lecture to accompany his 4-day workshop on Adire resist dyeing with indigo.

In this hybrid in-person / online presentation, Gasali told the story of how fiber art came into his life. He explained the three different techniques that he uses in his own work — adire eleko, batik, and tie-dye — and shared the rich history of textile design and significance of indigo for the Yoruba culture.

About Gasali Adeyemo:

Gasali Onireke Adeyemo (he/him) is a textile artist and natural dyer who was born in the small rural village of Ofatedo, located in Osun State Nigeria. He spent six years at the Nike Center for Arts and Culture in Lagos, mastering the arts of batik, indigo dyeing, quilt making, embroidery, and appliqué. In 1995, Gasali’s artwork was exhibited in Bayreuth, Germany alongside the work of five other artists from Nigeria launching his career. In 1996, the opportunity arose for him to travel outside of Nigeria for the first time when he was invited to the University of Iowa to lead a series of exhibitions and workshops. He has since traveled the world sharing his knowledge of traditional Yoruba textile arts. He has taught at Arrowmont, Cross Culture Collaborative Inc., Fiber Arts Center, Peters Valley School of Arts, Snow Farm, and the World Batik Conference. He currently resides in Santa Fe, New Mexico.