Rising Stars: Robert Oniha

Several parts of Nigerian culture are slowly being forgotten. In its peak stages, colonial influence conferred inferiority on aspects of Nigerian culture and relegated them to the background. The after-effects of this cultural imperialism have made the average African blur the line between imperialism and development. Certain aspects of the “new order” did not make sense to the established system. Unfortunately, these were accepted without much resistance from the greater part of society at the time. A classic example is the generally accepted ‘formal hairstyles’, which all involve some form of sleek updo or another hair texture that is alien to natural African hair. My present focus as an artist is to use my work to remind both Nigerians and non-Nigerians across the continents about the beauty, significance, and complexities of aspects of our cultures that seem to be dying out. My works are heavily inspired by great Nigerian artists like J. D. Ojeikere and Yinka Shonibare. One of the unique features of African textured hair is its ability to be sculpted and moulded into various shapes and forms. I am currently working and plan to keep working on hairstyles from across the continent. My process includes drawing on primed canvas with charcoal, clothing my subjects with bits of fabrics that have African connections; painting the backgrounds with vibrant colours; and weaving and twisting synthetic hair directly on the canvas.