04 / The Chronicles of Female Kings in Yoruba Land
Oba Obinrin
Portraits of the women who rose to become kings in Yoruba land, recording a history that was mostly passed down orally.
- Years
- 2019 – ongoing
- Status
- Ongoing
- Medium
- Charcoal on paper
- Shown at
- Chronicles of Women Kings in Yoruba Land, Lagos, 2022
- Subjects
- Female kings of Oyo, Ondo and Ife
Societies throughout Africa have preserved knowledge about the past through verbal, visual, and written art forms. Many of these histories were transmitted orally, in performance and from one generation of specialists to the next. While some narratives, such as those detailing the origins of a settlement, tribe or royal lineage, were mythic in scope, others were much more prosaic and might have concerned legal codes or accounts of village or clan history.
The purpose of this project is to fill this gap. “Oba Obinrin” affirms that women in many areas of the society were given a certain amount or range of power and authority to carry out leadership duties in areas such as trading, commerce, spirituality and even in royal affairs, as found in women in positions such as Iyalode, Iya Oba and Olori. These women, through actions, counsel and advice, played vital roles in different spheres of the Yoruba scenery.
These roles show the respect accorded to women in the Yoruba society. Invariably, there have been some women who have gone above and beyond these stipulated positions to become venerated women in history and have become kings in their respective kingdoms: female kings, what we call “Oba Obinrin”.
Everywhere the collection travels to, I want the world to see this collection not just serving a decorative purpose. These artworks are ultimately historical documents. When we don’t document our history, we don’t develop as a people.
Project summary
Everywhere the collection travels to, I want the world to see this collection not just serving a decorative purpose. These artworks are ultimately historical documents.
