Fro Fro
J. D. 'Okhai Ojeikere
Photography
Hairstyles are often complex signifiers of identity and social status, particularly for the Yoruba people. They can indicate a woman’s age, her occupation, and, in some contexts, her religious or political power. Many hairdos are also tied to specific ceremonies, such as a wedding or the naming ceremony of a child. Working over three decades, J. D. ’Okhai Ojeikere undertook a photographic series systematically documenting the rich variety of Nigerian hairstyles. He sought to capture the diversity and beauty of the hairdos he witnessed in the streets of cities and villages, in marketplaces and offices, and at parties, celebrations, and festivals around the country. Most of the photographs, like Fro Fro and Suku Sinero Kiko, were taken from behind, revealing and emphasizing the abstract and sculptural aspects of the hairdos.
MEDIUM
Gelatin silver print
DATES
1970 (printed 2010)
DIMENSIONS
Sheet: 20 x 16 in. (50.8 x 40.6 cm)
Image: 13 3/4 x 13 1/2 in. (34.9 x 34.3 cm) (show scale)
MARKINGS
Stamped in black in lower right recto
SIGNATURE
Signed, dated and numbered in ink, lower right recto
COLLECTIONS
Photography
ACCESSION NUMBER
2010.33.2
CREDIT LINE
Gift of Dr. and Mrs. Samuel S. Mandel, by exchange
EXHIBITIONS
MUSEUM LOCATION
This item is not on view
CAPTION
J. D. 'Okhai Ojeikere (Nigerian, 1930–2014). Fro Fro, 1970 (printed 2010). Gelatin silver print, Sheet: 20 x 16 in. (50.8 x 40.6 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Dr. and Mrs. Samuel S. Mandel, by exchange, 2010.33.2. © artist or artist's estate (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 2010.33.2_PS20.jpg)
IMAGE
overall, 2010.33.2_PS20.jpg. Brooklyn Museum photograph, 2023
"CUR" at the beginning of an image file name means that the image was created by a curatorial staff member. These study images may be digital point-and-shoot photographs, when we don\'t yet have high-quality studio photography, or they may be scans of older negatives, slides, or photographic prints, providing historical documentation of the object.
RIGHTS STATEMENT
© J.D. Okhai Ojeikere I Courtesy Gallery FIFTY ONE and L. Parker Stephenson
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