Im a simple gal who loves adventure, nature
and dogs Im a perfectionist too
J. D. 'Okhai Ojeikere
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J.D. 'Okhai Ojeikere
Died
February 2014, Lagos, Nigeria
Johnson Donatus Aihumekeokhai Ojeikere (1930 – 2 February 2014) was a Nigerian photographer who is known for his work with unique hairstyles found in Nigeria.
Johnson Donatus Aihumekeokhai Ojeikere (J.D. 'Okhai Ojeikere) was born in 1930 in Ovbiomu-Emai, a rural village in South Western Nigeria. He worked and lived in Ketu, Nigeria. At the age of 20 he pursued a future in photography, which was out of the ordinary for people in Nigeria, especially those in his village. Cameras were not in high demand and were of low priority as they were considered a luxury. However, 'Okhai Ojeikere was passionate about photography and in 1950 bought a modest Brownie D camera without flash, and had a friend teach him the fundamentals of photography.
'Okhai Ojeikere started out as a darkroom assistant in 1954 at the Ministry of Information in Ibadan. After Nigeria gained its independence in 1960, Ojeikere pursued his first job as a photographer. In 1961 he became a studio photographer, under Steve Rhodes, for Television House Ibadan. From1963 until 1975 Ojeikere worked in publicity at West Africa Publicity in Lagos. During his time in publicity, specifically in the year 1967, he joined the Nigerian Arts Council. In 1968 he began one of his largest projects as he documented Nigerian hairstyles. This was a hallmark of Ojeikere's work and he had printed approximately a thousand pictures of different African women's hair.
A large selection of Ojeikere's work was included in the arsenale section of the 55th Venice Biennale d'arte, "Il Palazzo Enciclopedia" curated by Massimiliano Gioni in 2013.
J.D. 'Okhai Ojeikere died on 2 February 2014, at the age of 83.
Solo exhibitions
1995 Ojeikere’s first solo exhibition in Nigeria as well as an exhibition in Switzerland (first work shown outside of his home country)
2005 Hairstyles: J.D. ‘Okhai Ojeikere, Blaffer Gallery, Art Museum of the University of Houston, Texas, USA.
2001 J. D. ‘Okhai Ojeikere: Hairstyles 1968 – 1999, Mamco (Musée d’art moderne et contemporain), Geneva, Switzerland.
2000 J. D. ‘Okhai Ojeikere, Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain, Paris, France.
Group exhibitions
2013 The Venice Biennale, The Encyclopedic Palace curated by Massimiliano Gioni
2013 Voyage Retour - Federal Government Press, Broad Street, Lagos, Lagos Island, Nigeria
2012 Africa/Africa – Abbaya St. André – Centre d’art contemporain Meymac, Meymac
2011 Becoming: Photographs from the Wedge Collection – Tate Modern, London, England
2010 A Midsummer Gallery Soiree, Hagedorn Foundation Gallery, Atlanta, GA, USA
2010 National Black Arts Festival, Atlanta, GA, USA
2010 70s. Photography and Everyday Life, Nederlands Fotomuseum, Rotterdam, Netherlands
2010 70s. Photography and Everyday Life, Centro Andaluz de Arte Contemporaneo, Serville, Spain
2010 AIPAD, L. Parker Stephenson Photographs, Park Avenue Armory, New York, USA
2009-2010 J. D. 'Okhai Ojeikere and Malick Sidibe: Hairdos and Parties- African Typologies, L. Parker Stephenson Photographs, New York, USA
2009-2010 70s. Photography and Everyday Life, Museo D’Arte Provincia di Nuoro, Nuoro, Italy
2009 70s. Photography and Everyday Life, Teatro Fernan Gomez, Photo Espana, Madrid, Spain
2008 Head room – Mocca – Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art, Toronto, ON
2006 About Africa Part One: Seydou Keita, Malick Sidbé, Jean-Dominque Burton, Jurgen Schadeberg, J. D. ‘Okhai Ojeikere, Fifty-One Fine Art Photography, Antwerp, Belgium.
2005 Masterpieces from the Jean Pigozzi Collection MFAH – Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, TX, USA.
2004 Collection Agnes B, Les Abattoirs – Frac Midi-Pyrénées, Toulouse, France.
2004 Joy of Life – two photographers from Africa: Seydou Keita, J.D. ‘Okhai Ojeikere, Hara Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo, Japan.
2004 Nous Remontons de la “Calle” Toutes les Photographies!, Galerie du Jour Agnés B., Paris, France.
2003 Highlights from the collection of Foundation Cartier pour l’art contemporain, Paris: William Eggleston, Beat Streuli, Bill Viola, Vik Muniz, J.D. ‘Okhai Ojeikere, Pierrick sorin, Bildmusset Umea universitet, Umea, Sweden.
2002 Collection in Context – Recent Photography Acquisitions, The Studio Museum
2001 Face Off – AEROPLASTICS Contemporary, Brussels
2000 Africa: Past-Present – Fifty One Fine Art Photography, Antwerp
Public collections
The Walther Collection
Brooklyn Museum, New York
Cartier Foundation, Paris
Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh
J. Paul Getty Museum of Art, Los Angeles
NSM Vie/ABM Amro
Studio Museum Harlem, New York
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
Literature
Ojeikere, J. D., & A. Magnin (2000). Okhai Ojeikere: Photographs. Scalo.
