Famous African Photographer J.D. Okhai Ojeikere Gets Befitting Tribute

J.D. ‘Okhai Ojeikere, Checheezeagu, 2005, Gelatin silver print. © J.D. ‘Okhai Ojeikere. Image courtesy Galerie MAGNIN-A, Paris.

BY KAZEEM ADELEKE

J.D. Okhai Ojeikere: Hairstyles and Headdresses, at the New Art Exchange, Nottingham, reveals the genius of this famous African photographer.

UNITED KINGDOM —The death of J.D Okhai Ojeikere, one of Africa’s most celebrated photographers, early this year continues to be felt across the globe. Okhai Ojeikere was not only well-known in Africa, but he was also admired across the globe. To remember and pay tribute to the creative excellence of this great Nigerian photographer, exhibitions are being organized by museums and art galleries around the world. One opened recently at the New Art Exchange, Nottingham. It is titled J.D. Okhai Ojeikere: Hairstyles and Headdresses. The Hayward Touring exhibition includes a collection of stunning images of ornate hairstyles elaborately sculpted by Nigerian hairstylists. Alongside those meticulously rendered hairstyles and designs are architectonic headdresses, richly fashioned to be visually bewitching.

Hairstyles and Headdresses brings to the fore Ojeikere’s lifelong project that began in the late 60s, soon after Nigeria’s independence. The series presents hairstyling as a monumental yet ephemeral art. Many of the hairstyles and headdresses in these images only last for a few days or weeks before other scintillating hairstyles and headdresses replace them. Ojeikere’s beautifully composed black and white images not only celebrate Nigerian women but also reveal their independence and power of expression. The images also provide an extensive visual archive of traditions gradually succumbing to the Western way of life.

An example of the vanishing tradition Ojeikere strove to preserve is Abebe, a hairstyle documented in a photograph taken in 1975. Abebe, the Yoruba word for fan, references the traditional Yoruba portable fan made from straws and raffia. From the woman’s scalp, the well-structured and elaborate hairstyle rises into a beautiful architectonic structure reaching for the skies. The dexterity of the stylist shows due attention to the articulation of this breathtaking skyscraper’s design.

Tribute to Okhai Ojeikere

Image: Modern Suku, 1979, captures a beautiful hairstyle of Nigerian women. The Gelatin silver print is by J.D. 'Okhai Ojeikere

J.D. ‘Okhai Ojeikere, Modern Suku, 1979, Gelatin silver print. © J.D. ‘Okhai Ojeikere. Image courtesy Galerie MAGNIN-A, Paris

J.D. Okhai Ojeikere’s Hairstyles and Headdresses project began more than 40 years ago. Like many of his contemporaries during the dawn of Nigeria’s independence in 1960, Ojeikere believed in the re-propagation of a Nigerian identity that was debased by colonialism and invading Western cultures. He was concerned that some authentic Nigerian traditions were dying off, and the only way to archive them and keep them in collective memory was through photography. Consequently, Ojeikere’s camera became a tool for archiving that objective.

Documentation of a Tradition

Although Ojeikere’s documentation of a tradition that was gradually losing to colonial ideas began with just a simple idea, it became a lifelong project. From 1968 to his death, Ojeikere passionately captured hairstyles and headdresses by traveling across Nigeria and attending key life events such as weddings, birthdays, and other ceremonial events. When he died early this year, he had accumulated more than 1,000 images. His choice of hairstyles and headdresses was not an accident. Besides the beauty of the styles and the creativity of their creators, it was clear to Ojeikere that with the introduction of hair stretching devices and hair perm creams, it was only a matter of time before the celebrated hairstyles and headdresses became extinct.

In documenting hairstyles and headdresses, Ojeikere utilized both street and studio photography. Each image is meticulously documented to reveal the nuanced meanings of his subject matter. The significance of the different hairstyles is inherent in the history of the styles. While some hairstyles denote social status, others are integral to family history as they have been handed down from one tradition to another. For Ojeikere, preserving the hairstyles was important because they celebrate the uniqueness and reflect the diversity of cultural traditions within Nigeria. He noted that ‘There are hundreds of ethnic groups in Nigeria, each with its own language, traditions and as many different hairstyles… The hairstyles are never exactly the same; each one has its own beauty…’

Onile Gogoro or Akaba 1975, reveals the beauty Ojeikere was talking about. Literarily translated, Onile Gogoro — a Yoruba Phrase— simply means “owner of a skyscraper. Made from plastic strings wrapped around the hair to create an architectural structure, the design conveys the painstaking effort of the stylist to create a masterpiece as well as beautify the wearer.

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The images of traditional hairstyles and headdresses presently on display at the New Art Exchange, Nottingham show the brilliance of this photographer widely regarded as one of the greatest African photographers of the 20^th Century. To provide context and also shape the narratives about the images, each photograph has labels with the hairstyle’s place of origin, meaning, name, and history. The narrative is a journey through key life experiences and events such as weddings, birthdays, a rite of passage, and other important ceremonies that give credence to these images.

Hairstyles and Headdresses is the first major UK exhibition of Ojeikere’s work. Evidently, this is why Hayward Touring is happy to be working with Art Exchange on this project. Gillian Fox, Curator of Exhibition, Hayward Touring notes:

It is an incredible opportunity for Hayward Touring to exhibit the work of Nigeria’s most beloved photographer and we are delighted to be working with New Art Exchange as our first tour venue. All of the works in the show were painstakingly reprinted from the original negatives, and the richness and physicality of these forms a direct connection to the very moment of their capture. Ojeikere’s original intent may have been a social document but what in fact was produced was an extended love letter to his country and its culture.

J.D. ‘Okhai Ojeikere: Hairstyles and Headdresses

Presenting Hairstyles and Headdresses, the series project that earned Ojeikere international acclaim and a wider audience is a befitting tribute to the amazing photographer. The well-composed images beautifully capture not just the delicately crafted hairstyles, but also how they reflect on the wearer. To engender a deeper understanding, Ojeikere also includes a narrative revealing the origin of the name of the hairstyles. While some hairstyles’ names tease and make poignant statements, other styles have nicknames informed by the geographic area they came from. Some names also reflect the natural and manmade forms they imitated, including pineapples, crabs, suspension bridges, or tower blocks.

Since the exhibition opened, it has attracted many art lovers who have projected and brought new meanings to the hairstyles and the role they play in the context of Nigerian culture. As expected, these hairstyles and headdresses continue to generate much excitement amongst art lovers and photographers. When it was first presented as a part of the Southbank Centre’s Women of The World Festival in March 2014, it became the conversation piece among all that visited the show. Women, in particular, could not stop imagining what the hairstyles would look like on them.

Although this exhibition presents Okhai Ojeikere as a great photographer, what is not too clear from the show is that he was also an incredible teacher. Many young Nigerian photographers, including his son Amaize Ojeikere, attribute their photography career success to him. Some of the works by these young photographers were recently on display in the exhibition The Nigerian Centenary Photography Exhibition at Bonhams in London. Like Okhai Ojeikere, many young Nigerian photographers have taken up projects of their own. Okhai Ojeikere’s son, for instance, has been documenting images of Lagos and the colonial implications on the city.

Young Local Photographers Respond to Ojeikere’s Photographs

To bring new meaning to Okhai Ojeikere’s work, the Hayward Touring exhibition and New Art Exchange commissioned several young local photographers to create works that will directly respond to many of Ojeikere’s works. To create their works, the local artists spent time in and around the numerous barbershops, salons, and beauty stores of the Hyson Green region of Nottingham. They created work based on their observation and interaction with the people they met in these places. Some of the works include haircuts and hairstyles. Though different from Okhai Ojeikere’s images, the works of these young photographers reflect contemporary cultures and traditions of the Hyson Green region of Nottingham.

The images of traditional hairstyles and headdresses presently on display at the New Art Exchange, Nottingham, show the brilliance of this photographer, widely regarded as one of the greatest African photographers of the 20^th Century. It is no doubt a befitting tribute to this famous African photographer who has helped shape the photography careers of many young Nigerian photographers. Born in 1930 in Nigeria, J.D. Okhai Ojeikere’s photography career was dedicated to the preservation of Nigeria’s culture.

For 40 years, Ojeikere traveled across Nigeria, attending weddings, birthdays, child naming ceremonies, and other important life events, documenting a culture nearing extinction. His dedication to the preservation of Nigerian culture, tenacity, and genius as a photographer won him international acclaim. His works have been in museums and gallery shows across the globe. Many are also in public and private collections. Beyond all the accolades, however, what is most important is that, with his work, Ojeikere has helped document important Nigerian culture for the future generation

J.D. Okhai Ojeikere: Hairstyles and Headdresses, on view through January 11, 2015, at the New Art Exchange, Nottingham.