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 a.
