Cultural Coifs: Rich Nigerian Tradition Captured in Bold Hairstyle Images

The photograph series "Hairstyles" reveals striking looks.

Mkpuk Eba HD 694/74, 1974 - The empty background emphasizes the sculptural qualities of each bold hairstyle as seen here in this elegant design.(Photo: J.D. Okhai Ojeikere/Courtesy of Fifty One Fine Art Photography, Antwerp)
Star Koroba HD 229/71, 1971 - Through capturing the hair fashions of the late 1960s and 1970s, Ojeikere also documented Nigeria’s cultural identity while referencing ancestral tribal traditions.(Photo: J.D. Okhai Ojeikere/Courtesy of Fifty One Fine Art Photography, Antwerp)
Atiai HD 262/70, 1970 - The collection contains nearly 1,000 hairstyles that the photographer snapped on the street, at work, at weddings and other local events.(Photo: J.D. Okhai Ojeikere/Courtesy of Fifty One Fine Art Photography, Antwerp)
Udoji HD 838/75, 1975 - Ojeikere launched his professional career in 1954 working as a darkroom assistant at the Ministry of Information in Ibadan, Nigeria. In the wake of Nigeria’s decolonization in 1960, he was hired as a studio photographer at the nation’s first television station, Television House Ibadan.(Photo: J.D. Okhai Ojeikere/Courtesy of Fifty One Fine Art Photography, Antwerp)Onile Gogoro Or Akaba, HD 275/75, 1975 - Committed to exploring Nigerian culture since the start of his career, Ojeikere also joined the Nigeria Art Council, a collection devoted to the development and promotion of the country’s art and culture, in 1967.  (Photo: J.D. Okhai Ojeikere/Courtesy of Fifty One Fine Art Photography, Antwerp)

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Star Koroba HD 229/71, 1971 - Through capturing the hair fashions of the late 1960s and 1970s, Ojeikere also documented Nigeria’s cultural identity while referencing ancestral tribal traditions.(Photo: J.D. Okhai Ojeikere/Courtesy of Fifty One Fine Art Photography, Antwerp)

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