Born in Western Nigeria in 1930, Ojeikere’s formative years were spent as a photographer for the Ministry of Education in Lagos and later in the West African Publicity Agency. He opened his own studio Foto Ojeikere in 1975.

In 1968 Ojeikere began photographing women’s hairstyles, a subject which continues to fascinate him today. As he explains “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... Some styles sometimes need more than a week of work.”

Certain hairstyles are purely decorative while others are more ceremonial and have a precise meaning. Among other things, the style determines specific types of ceremony (such as marriages or coming of age) as well as the status of the woman and her family. “Royal families have the exclusive right to their hairstyle, which cannot be imitated... it’s a mark of distinction. Their knowledge is transmitted from mother to daughter.” With every portrait Ojeikere notes where the hairstyle is from, its meaning, its name and its history. 

Although there is a strong documentary quality to the series, preserving an ancient heritage, Ojeikere’s presents the hairstyles as works of art. Often taken from the back, they are sculptural and abstract, sensitive to the intricacies of the work and admiring of the beauty of the design.

Ojeireke’s work is held in a variety of public and private collections, including the Tate (London), Getty Museum (Los Angeles), Foundation Cartier pour l’Art Contemporain (Paris), Musée du Quai Branly (Paris), Musée d’Art Moderne et Contemporain (Geneva), National Arts Council (Lagos), Guggenheim Museum (Bilbao), Collection Agnes b. (Paris), Jean Pigozzi Colletcion (Geneva), Smithosian Institution (Washington) as well as the Walther Collection (New York) and will be included in the International Pavilion in the Venice Biennale 2013.

Tristan Hoare Gallery
133 Oxford Gardens
London 10 6NE United Kingdom
Ph. +44 (0) 20 8968 3333
tristan@tristanhoare.co.uk
www.tristanhoare.co.uk

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