Adunni Olorisha Susanne Wenger (left) and Ajagemo (right), a high priest of Obatala in Ede, Osun; Obatala is the father of all orishas and all humankind. She contracted tuberculosis within a year of her arrival from Austria, which led to a spiritual awakening and her conversion to the Yoruba religion. She met Ajagemo, an Obatala priest, at Ede and was drawn to the religion. Wenger was first exposed to the Yoruba language, religion, and way of life by Ajagemo, and the two quickly grew close. Wenger experimented with vibrant designs inspired by Adire manufacturing methods during this time.
In the end, Wenger and Beier got divorced. Wenger then wed a local drummer named Lasisi Ayansola Onilu, and by then, she was making a name for herself as a leading figure in the Orisha faith rebirth. After leaving Ede and relocating to Ilobu, Wenger settled in Osogbo in 1961 and rose to prominence as an advocate for the Osun Grove. She performed community service by working with the Public Works Department and an artist collective to destroy termites and rebuild the shrine’s buildings and carvings using cement and wood.
She became the protector of the Sacred Grove of the Osun goddess on the banks of the Osun River in Oshogbo and founded the archaic-modern art school “New Sacred Art,” which was a branch of the larger Oshogbo school. In addition to expressing the actions and purposes of the particular orishas, Wenger’s artwork also portrays the social lives of both traditional religion devotees and non-adherents. Her home serves as a gallery for her artwork because so much of the furniture inside features motifs from Yoruba art.
At the age of ninety-three, Susanne passed away at her Òṣogbo residence on January 12, 2009.
