My heart is saddened at the passing of international sensation, visionary artist Twins Seven Seven at aged 67 in Ibadan. I had the amazing blessing of meeting him and experiencing his works in Oshogbo in 1977. International printmaking innovator Bruce Onobrakpeya drove me to Oshogbo to meet him. Twins Seven Seven took me to a club he owned for refreshments (he was also a musician) and then to the art village collective where teams of African women dyed batiks in the open air. It was so vibrant. The air was thick with creative energy. I traveled alone to Nigeria and to three other African countries that year through a fellowship from Howard. My study tour was designed by African Art historian Dr. Kojo Fosu Baiden. Dr Baiden had curated an exhibition of contemporary African art at Howard that year that opened my eyes to contemporary African artists across the continent, including a sculptor from Zaire, a solar engraver from Sudan, and a textile designer from Ghana.
