Architectural hairdressing was tackled in a previous post a while back. It is worth rediscovering this theme through the photography of J.D.'Okhai Ojeikere.
Born in 1930 and raised in a small village in Nigeria, J.D.'Okhai Ojeikere developed an interest in photography in his twenties, after buying a cheap Brownie D camera. Quite soon he became fascinated by this form of art and, in 1954, he started working as a darkroom assistant in the photography department of the Ministry of Information in Ibadan.
He left his post after Nigerian independence was established in 1960 and became a staff photographer for NTV Ibadan, the first television station in Africa. From 1963 to 1975 he worked in publicity at West Africa Publicity in Lagos.
Around 1968 J.D.'Okhai Ojeikere started documenting on an independent basis various aspects of Nigerian culture. Among the most striking series of images that he created there is one that explores the elaborate hairstyles and head wrappings of Nigerian women and that he took over a forty-year span.
The images chronicle the traditional styles of Nigeria's hundreds of ethnic groups and include pictures of intricately sculpted and braided hair or photographs of women's heads wrapped in oversized fabric turbans characterised by elaborate designs.
Some of the hairstyles and head ornaments mark special ceremonies and festivals; others hint at social positions in the community, or simply display how styles evolved from the postcolonial era.
Hair assume in this series an anthropological, social and fashion value: the images indirectly record indeed the changes Nigeria went through from the points of view of history, politics, society and style.
J.D.'Okhai Ojeikere's photographs can be admired until 24th November at the 55th International Venice Art Biennale or at the Museum of African Diaspora in San Francisco (exhibition: "J.D. 'Okhai Ojeikere: Sartorial Moments and the Nearness of Yesterday"). The latter focuses not just on hairstyles, but also on fashion with images taken between 1955 and 2008 that explore traditional Nigerian dress.
Member of the Boxxet Network of Blogs, Videos and Photos
Member of the Boxxet Network of Blogs, Videos and Photos
Comments