Get along to Queens Hall, Hexham by March 22nd to see Hairstyles and Headdresses – the first UK exhibition of Nigerian photographer J.D ‘Okhai Ojeikere.
Featuring 50 black and white photographic prints, this is a rare opportunity to encounter an artist widely regarded as one of the most important photographers to emerge from Africa in the last sixty years.
Utilising both street and studio photography, Ojeikere has fastidiously documented the many different fashions and nuanced meanings of his subject matter. These ever-evolving designs symbolised key life events such as weddings or birthdays, and often denoted social status – with unique family hairstyles being passed down through generations. The styles became known by their nicknames, which emerged from either the geographic area they came from, or from the natural and manmade forms they imitated including pineapples, crabs, suspension bridges or tower blocks. To Ojeikere, the hairstyles celebrate uniqueness and reflect the diversity of cultural traditions within Nigeria
Waka Waka Africa North East 