Taiye Idahor
The orange eyed bird, 2022
Acrylic paint, oil pastel, and laser print collage on canvas
65 1/2 x 54 1/2 in
166.4 x 138.4 cm
166.4 x 138.4 cm
Series: The taming of Ahianmwen
Copyright the Artist
The End of the world In line with subsuming women’s stories, this series continues the conversation on women and power addressing the subject of erasure. Two bodies of work (Ivie...
The End of the world
In line with subsuming women’s stories, this series continues the conversation on women and
power addressing the subject of erasure. Two bodies of work (Ivie and Hairvolution series) serve as the backdrop for these new works. The Ivie series explores in summary women and power and poses questions of how women occupy this space of power, and it draws reference from the Iyoba (Queen Mother) of Benin city Nigeria and the current vacuum of the position while Hairvolution explores a more personal vacuum within my own family, that of my paternal grandmother.
With these projects I was questioning the consequence of these voids created as a result of women not being present either in family units or in more influential positions like that of Iyoba. This thought brought me to question the void more deeply and go as far as imaging the total absence of women in the world. What would the world look like?... I imagined. Subsequently the thought of an eminent “End of the world” came to mind, the end of humanity and the human race as we know it was my conclusion and that women are more than the physical representation/objectification that we see around us today.
I have come to a further conclusion that women are mysterious beings that are crucial for humanity to exist or stay alive. The figuration and landscape in the paintings portray the female body or presence in a light of mystery and as a supernatural being or creature. The imagery borrows from Benin iconography and symbols and mostly why Benin women have always and till now played important roles in society and within the palace and taking the Iyoba as an example of this.
The Ahianmwen-oro staff (the bird of prophesy) signifies that one is above prophesy hence
presents the notion that the carrier is not a “physical” being. Iwu marks are tattoos of beautification although an old and discontinued tradition but small repeated markings cuts can be the residue of a traditional medicine ritual or treatment. Here, hair is the connection between past and present women; genealogy, hence a carrier of power between the women before and the ones present. I’m also thinking along the lines of reincarnation through hair.
In line with subsuming women’s stories, this series continues the conversation on women and
power addressing the subject of erasure. Two bodies of work (Ivie and Hairvolution series) serve as the backdrop for these new works. The Ivie series explores in summary women and power and poses questions of how women occupy this space of power, and it draws reference from the Iyoba (Queen Mother) of Benin city Nigeria and the current vacuum of the position while Hairvolution explores a more personal vacuum within my own family, that of my paternal grandmother.
With these projects I was questioning the consequence of these voids created as a result of women not being present either in family units or in more influential positions like that of Iyoba. This thought brought me to question the void more deeply and go as far as imaging the total absence of women in the world. What would the world look like?... I imagined. Subsequently the thought of an eminent “End of the world” came to mind, the end of humanity and the human race as we know it was my conclusion and that women are more than the physical representation/objectification that we see around us today.
I have come to a further conclusion that women are mysterious beings that are crucial for humanity to exist or stay alive. The figuration and landscape in the paintings portray the female body or presence in a light of mystery and as a supernatural being or creature. The imagery borrows from Benin iconography and symbols and mostly why Benin women have always and till now played important roles in society and within the palace and taking the Iyoba as an example of this.
The Ahianmwen-oro staff (the bird of prophesy) signifies that one is above prophesy hence
presents the notion that the carrier is not a “physical” being. Iwu marks are tattoos of beautification although an old and discontinued tradition but small repeated markings cuts can be the residue of a traditional medicine ritual or treatment. Here, hair is the connection between past and present women; genealogy, hence a carrier of power between the women before and the ones present. I’m also thinking along the lines of reincarnation through hair.
