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The Onidiri Festival, held on Saturday, August 22, featured a visual arts exhibition that explored the cultural and historical significance of African hair.
Titled Roots, Rhythm and Revolution, the exhibition brought together works in photography, sculpture, fashion, painting and mixed media to examine the relationship between hair, identity, memory and heritage.
The exhibition was curated by Ife Olowu, Kikelomo Ayeni-Solomon and Favour Ben and managed by Red19 Creatives CIC.
For generations, hairstyles in African societies have served purposes beyond personal appearance, with braids, threading and other traditional styles reflecting identity, community, social experiences and cultural practices.
The exhibition also examined the changing significance of African hair within the diaspora, particularly in relation to representation, assimilation, resistance and perceptions of beauty.
Its title was used to reflect three themes explored through the artworks: “Roots” representing ancestry and cultural memory, “Rhythm” referring to the continuation and transmission of traditions, and “Revolution” highlighting changing interpretations of inherited cultural forms.
Artists whose works featured in the exhibition included Ibukun Oparinu, Ajibola Oluwaseun Odusiji, Osaro Kent Uwadiae, Apanisile Anuoluwapo Christianah, Anthony Anisiebo, Edirin John Duvwiama, Shegun Oseh, Kazeem Babalola and Kikelomo Solomon-Ayeni, among others.
The exhibition formed part of the festival’s wider focus on African hair and culture, presenting the subject from the perspective of contemporary visual artists.
Through the artworks, hair was presented as a subject connected to cultural heritage, personal identity and the transmission of traditions across generations.
