MasterArt Classes – Masterartclasses

Welcome To

MasterArtClasses

A platform for teaching about the richness of African textile and craft traditions.

COURSES

0 +

years of teaching experience

0 +

TRAINED STUDENTS

MasterArtClasses

Our classes are mainly online and interactive. We have students joining us from all over the world.

There are three major types of classes- live interactive online classes which can be group or private, pre-recorded videos and physical classes. Whatever method you choose promises to be exciting and educative.

MasterArtClasses offers courses suitable for every learner enthusiastic about African art and culture. Courses are structured for both children and adults. We also have courses for highly specialized interests that caters to students of higher education. Join any of our classes if you are also a hobbyist looking to learn a skill. Courses cover several fabric designing techniques such as àdìre oníko (tie-dye), àdìre alábéré (stitch and dye), àdìre alábélá (batik), àdìre eléko (starch resist), silk dyeing, and silk painting. Through this digital platform, we spread our classes to the rest of Africa and the African Diaspora.

Explore our courses

We offer a range of engaging and immersive learning experiences to help you discover the rich world of African art and culture. Our courses are designed to cater to different preferences and learning styles, ensuring that every participant can find their ideal path of artistic exploration.

Live Interactive Online Classes

For those seeking flexibility without sacrificing engagement, our live interactive online classes are the perfect fit. Join in from the comfort of your own home or studio, and participate in real-time discussions and demonstrations

Pre-recorded Videos

If you prefer a self-paced learning experience, our pre-recorded video courses are the ideal choice. Access a diverse library of expertly crafted lessons, covering various aspects of African artistic traditions.

Physical Classes

Our physical classes provide a unique opportunity to engage directly with fellow art enthusiasts in a welcoming and inspiring environment. Join us in a stimulating environment that encourages creativity and hands-on learning.

Meet our founder

I am Peju Layiwola, an artist with a wealth of experience teaching and working with diverse media in the arts. I started my teaching career in 1991 at the University of Benin. After four years of teaching, I joined the University of Lagos in 2002-. Twenty-five years of teaching has gone faster than expected, but it has been a beautiful journey of imparting knowledge and skills within the academe and in informal spaces. I have served as a guest lecturer and visiting professor in several Universities/Institutions in the global North. Some of these include including Rhodes Island School of Design (RISD), Providence, 2019; Millsaps College, Jackson, Mississippi, USA, 2017; University of Arkansas, 2020 and the University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA in 2008.

I have also done extensive work in local communities through a nonprofit organization, the Women and Youth Art Foundation (Wy Art), which I founded in 1994. I created the first educational instructional DVDs on arts and crafts in Nigeria which have served as great resources for learning art and crafts since 1998.

I am a recipient of several international awards and recognitions: I have received support for my work as an academic dedicated to propagating Africa’s indigenous artistic heritage through the US Lagos State Consulate Grant 2017 , the US Alumni Exchange Award 2018 and the SSA British Council grant for cultural exchange (2022) for community engagement and research on dyeing communities within Lagos

I invite you to join any of our classes.

Our Popular Courses

MasterArtClasses

About Our Courses

We take you step-by-step through the processes of learning about the rich cultural heritage of Nigeria and Africa as a whole. Our courses are available online as well as in-person. Select which art or craft you would love to learn. Make sure to register to get updates and tips on our classes. We offer you a great opportunity of learning from the experts. Join MasterArtClasses today

Peju Layiwola's Indigo Reimagined: Rethinking Àdìre in Yoruba Fashion and Textile Modernity

Publisher: Institute of African and Diaspora Studies, University of Lagos
ISBN: 978-978-990-855-4
Copyright Year: 2021
Please allow two to three weeks for postage from Nigeria

Peju Layiwola’s Indigo Reimagined: Rethinking Àdìre in Yoruba Fashion and Textile Modernity brings together the authoritative views of art historians, literary critics, and other informed observers who encountered the exhibition entitled Indigo Reimagined held in 2019 at two venues in Lagos, Nigeria.

Curated by Peju Layiwola, a Professor of Art History at the University of Lagos, many witnessed the physical event in the gallery enclosures of the university on Lagos Mainland and at Alara on the Island, while many others experienced its afterlife in virtual spaces and other media platforms.

The exhibition has now been made to come alive again in the thoughtful essays and bright photographs of this book. The authors of the essays have described their perceptions of the phenomenal event in ways that a normal exhibition catalog cannot fully represent. They have stepped outside the gallery and media spaces framework to give clear pictures of what readers and researchers would have seen had they been at the exhibition.

This volume indexes the social history of Àdìre and communicates the awe of each contributor as they observe culture and creativity unfold and intersect in the fabric. The essays draw attention to how the literal and the figurative intertwine in Àdìre as fabric, delineate its importance in Yoruba culture and highlight its historical association with appareling humanity.

Benin1897.com: Art and the Restitution Question

This 216 page book with 154 colour illustrations was published in 2010 as the accompanying catalog of the solo exhibition titled Benin1897.com: Art and the Restitution Question held in Lagos and Ibadan. The book focuses on the pillage of Benin artifacts looted from the King’s palace in 1897 by British Forces. The forward is written by HRM, Omo N’Oba N’Edo Uku Akpolokpolo, Erediauwa. It also comprises ten scholarly articles by African and African diaspora scholars. These scholars include Kwame Opoku, Sylvester Okwunodu Ogbechie, Folarin Shyllon, Freida High, Mabel Evwierhoma, Akinwale Onipede, Sola Olorunyomi, Victor Osaru Edo, Benson Eluma and Peju Layiwola

Cost of the book (Hardcover) Postage, and handling is $40 (Outside Nigeria)

Cost of the book (Hardcover) Postage, and handling is N20,000 (Within Nigeria)

What Our Past Students Say About MasterArtClasses

events

Telling Textile Tales Online Conference

26th -28th September, 2022

2pm

The telling textile tale conference was specifically focused on narratives on African textiles from the viewpoint of artists, textile traders, fashion designers, scholars, and culture enthusiasts. It was a stimulating conference lasting three days with well over 45 paper presenters. The next conference will come up in 2024. Watch this space.

We help you nurture your artistic talents through an enriching experience of African Art & Culture at MasterArtClasses.

Welcome To