‘There are hundreds of ethnic groups in Nigeria, each with its own language, traditions and as many different hairstyles,’ Ojeikere once said in an interview. ‘The hairstyles are never exactly the same; each one has its own beauty’
Hello, Guys, How was the week? I hope Splendid.
So, i came across a short but informative and uniquely inspiring article about African Hair styles and i just wanted to share it with you all. In the light of deciding what is beautiful, i think the most important thing is for one to stay true to self, remember who they are and be proud of what they are. And staying true to oneself requires the hard task of self acceptance and contentment. Be you, decide what is BEAUTIFUL to you and embody it. LIVE YOU!!!
The slideshow showcased 10 pictures which if i am not mistaken were taken by JD ‘Okhai Ojeikere who died at 83years old. Sometime last week. The man had an extensive compilation of work and photographs starting from 1960’s which is now roughly about 1,000 different pictures of numerous African Hairstyles.
Coiling Penny Penny, 1974
‘Some styles sometimes need more than a week of work’
Pineapple, 1969
Suku sinero/Kiko, 1974Photograph: JD ’Ohkai Ojeikere/Gallery Fifty One, Antwerp
Ataiai, 1970
Modern Suku, 1975
Onile Gogoro / Akaba, 1975Photograph: JD ’Ohkai Ojeikere/Gallery Fifty One, Antwerp
Photograph: JD ’Ohkai Ojeikere/Gallery Fifty One, Antwerp
But on that Note i still want to wish everyone—
A Happy Valentines Day
XoXo
Chioma
Exquisitely interesting post, I think I like the ‘Suku sinero/Kiko, 1974’ pic best but they are superb in general. The post reminds me of one I wrote a while back referring to the origin of Medusa and how it was twisted/corrupted over time, the original image being of an African goddess later demonized by the invading/conquering empires. It was just a general piece and showed her connection to the Earth Mother theme and the Goddess Kali/Kalimata. I love the creativity here.
Really interesting post. I used to wear a significantly toned down version of the modern suku as a child. It’s weird to think how long these styles have been around.
http://www.amu-dat.com
Hahah me too, there are so many hairstyles like that, it was so fun to look through his work