O’DA Art spotlights Taiye Idahor

…As artist shows first solo exhibition in a decade

O’DA Art Gallery opens ‘I See (Wo)men As Trees’, Taiye Idahor’s first solo exhibition in Nigeria in a decade. I See (Wo)men As Trees is a poetic visual meditation on ancestry, identity, and the feminine experience. The exhibition title, inspired by a biblical verse, echoes the words of a man whose healed vision, transformed: “I see men like trees, walking.” This verse affirms Taiye’s exploration of how women stand as enduring figures of strength and continuity, deeply rooted in their pasts while constantly growing towards the future.

The exhibition consists of four distinct series: Wade in the Water, I See (Wo)men As Trees, Emancipated but Not Free, and Hairhythm. Each series draws on Taiye’s personal reflections and broader cultural narratives, forming a cohesive yet complex narrative centred on the metaphors of trees, water, and hair. The natural elements symbolize resilience, growth, and the ongoing tension between freedom and confinement. The harmonious blending of the women’s soft brown skin with the reddish ground and wooden beams, their earthy tones evoke stability and inner strength, while the translucent figures express the ongoing journey of emancipation. The exhibition reminds us that women’s stories, much like trees, are ancient, enduring, and ever-evolving, testaments to the power of growth and the strength of shared history.

Wade in the Water

In Wade in the Water, Taiye builds on themes from her earlier solo show Hairvolution, where hair serves as a central symbol of heritage and identity. Here, hair transforms into a vast sea that women must navigate, symbolising the often turbulent journey through lineage, history, and self-discovery. The title references the spiritual hymn “Wade in the Water,” signifying survival and the pursuit of freedom. Taiye envisions women as floaters or swimmers in a sea of hair, their heads emerging like islands in an ocean of memory and ancestry. The ambiguity of their direction underscores the ongoing search for identity, home, and belonging. Through this metaphor, she delves into themes of migration, displacement, and the often elusive quest for rootedness.

I See (Wo)men As Trees

The titular series I See (Wo)men As Trees portrays women as embodiments of rootedness and strength. Their long, dark hair trailing across the ground like tree roots, serves as a powerful visual symbol connecting them to the earth, each other, and their origins. Hair becomes a conduit, a tangible link that speaks to interconnectedness and shared histories. The partially constructed spaces in each piece suggest incompleteness, reflecting the women’s ongoing journeys, whether personal, spiritual, or communal. The expansive green landscape offers a sense of openness, potential, and freedom, reinforcing that their growth is still unfolding.

Emancipated but Not Free

Emancipated but Not Free, delves into the complex realities of womanhood, particularly the notions of freedom, autonomy, and restraint. This series captures the tension between external liberation and internal entrapment, portraying the nuanced and often paradoxical journey of women navigating spaces of independence while still tethered by societal, cultural, or personal constraints. The open, endless landscapes evoke the potential for boundless movement, yet the focus on meticulously tangled, expansive hair suggests a simultaneous limitation, as if freedom itself has boundaries. While hair traditionally symbolises autonomy, beauty, and identity, in this series it becomes a symbol of both liberation and confinement.

The exhibition runs at O’DA Art Gallery at #10 Sir Samuel Manuwa Street, Victoria Island, Lagos, from October 26 – November 30, 2024, from 11am – 6pm daily from Tuesday to Saturday. Apart from open reception on October 26th, there will be an Artist Talk with Taiye Idahor and Lauren Tate Baeza on November 3, 2024 from 1-3pm at the gallery.