Over 140 years after French impressionist, Edgar Degas, painted Miss La La at the Cirque Fernando, a poetry and conversation forum involving U.K-based artist, Lanre Olagoke, will be revisiting the 19th century painting.

Degas’ oil on canvas, painted in 1879 celebrated a black circus artiste, ‘Miss La La’.
Olagoke, who is the founder of a charity organisation, Art Alive, joins Dr. Bonnie Greer and Prof Olivette Otele in the event inspired by Degas’ ‘Miss La La of the Cirque Fernando’ fame.

Greer is an author and former board member at British Museum, while Otele (PhD) is a Professor of History of Slavery and Memory of enslavement at the University of Bristol, U.K.

The event, which holds on October 6, 2023 at the National Gallery, Trafalgar Square, London, is expected to include, Olagoke’s painting session, in visual interpretation of Greer’s book, Miss La La’s Hanging By Her Teeth.

Olagoke’s art as a medium for engaging communities will also be on focus before the ‘Miss La La’ event. In Mauritius, Olagoke will be involved in ‘Inspire Grand Gaube: Art Against Addiction’, holding on September 12, 2023, which include talks and painting on social aspect of the community. The community-driven initiative is organised by Mythic Suites & Villas in collaboration with Olagoké and a duo of female wall painting artists Emmy & Marine Ng.

“Miss La La had many names, she can be who you want her to be, just as her real name, Anna, my youngest daughter’s name also,” Olagoke stated in preparation for his appropriating of the Degas painting. Olagoke, whose career started 40 years ago, has clearly won his position as an established artist. Some of his paintings have adorned the walls of galleries and private collections worldwide. The same can be said of his more recent works of figurative paintings, which are equally subjectively fascinating.

For Miss La La, whose moniker, according to Olagoke, was ‘African Princess’, his appropriating of her character will depict that of a woman with strong fighting spirit. “This painting depicts a warrior, fighter, a winner, powerful human being, which makes her recognisable and stands out, stands tall, unique, a master.”

In her days as a famous circus artiste, Miss La La’s signature acts involved being pulled up to the height of the circus tent by bitting down on the rope with her teeth.

Olagoke described Miss La La’s career as one that rose from humility to praise. “She was pulled up to be recognised, outstanding among her peers such that you have to look up to her as an example, epitomised strength, and by holding up to the rope, shows she is in a place of vulnerability, and also strength but yet hanging on by her teeth.”

More interesting, she made fame at a very young age. She was known to hoist other people at the age of 21 which was symbolic for a teenager.
Olagoke’s ‘Art-Alive Arts Trust’, which he founded in the late 90s, became a registered U.K charity in 2001. Art-Alive has done quite some works in Nigeria, including workshop for less privileged youths in Lagos. “Art-Alive has mentored over five thousand young creatives with varying disciplines in the arts across the U.K. and beyond,” Olagoke disclosed.

In 2017, Olagoke attended a Creative Health Conference where he was opportuned to meet the then Secretary of Health and Social Care, Matthew Hancock.

They exchanged ideas on how Art can be used as a tool to relieve the anguish for those struggling with mental health. One of Olagoke’s long held ambition for Art-Alive has always been to have an Artist-In-Residents (AIR) Programme. “The facility will be a place where artists can get a permanent studio, particularly for many of the charity’s transiting young creatives.”

Towards the end of 2021, in the midst of the global pandemic of Covid-19, his ambition became a reality. Out of the act of generosity, Lutz Strangemann CEO of Land Union decided to support Lanre’s vision. Lanre was able to establish the AIR Programme in a five-storey building with 20 rooms, on the Strand, in the heart of London.

Back home in Nigeria, Olagoke is working with a culture infrastructure company, Lumin-Artica on a rare project, Museum of Black Women in History.

To be built in Oyo town, Oyo State, the late Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi III, announced the museum in 2020. Founded by Oranyan Heritage Foundation (OHF), the museum is the legacy of the founder, Chief Mrs Titilola Orija-Adesoye, late mother of Olagoke and cousin to Alaafin Lamidi.

Among Olagoke’s most ambitious project is ‘Reclamation’, said to have been formed out ‘The Era of Reclamation’. It’s a concept borne out of a series of conversations held by intellectuals and academics, such as, the playwright and novelist Dr. Bonnie Greer, OBE, Dr. Hartwig Fischer the director of the British Museum and Prof. Dr. Olivette Otele, Professor of History of Slavery and Memory of enslavement at the University of Bristol, to name but a few. The conversations focused on Africa extending to its diaspora, encompassing black history, emphasising on the role of black women, and relaying the importance of the African identity in general.

Olagoke worked with late Prof Ben Enwonwu in the 80s as a young artist privileged to paint inside the studio of the renowned artist at Fellows Road, Belsize Park London.