O’DA art unveils Idahor’s I See (wo)men as Trees

Stepping out with her first solo show in Nigeria in a decade, Taiye Idahor’s I See (Wo)men As Trees, presented by contemporary art gallery, O’DA, is a poetic visual meditation on ancestry, identity and the feminine experience.

This show reminds visitors 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.

In Wade in the Water, Taiye builds on themes from her earlier solo show Hairvolution, where hair served 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’, which signifies 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.
   
The titular series, I See (Wo)men As Trees, portrays women as embodiment of 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 incompletion, 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 delves into the complex realities of womanhood, particularly the notions of freedom, autonomy and restraint. It 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. On Sunday, November 3, there was an artist talk with Taiye Idahor and Lauren Tate Baeza at the gallery between 1:00pm and 3:00pm.