When J. D. ‘Okhai Ojeikere took the first of what would become 1,000 photographs documenting Nigerian women’s threaded and plaited hairstyles in 1968, there was little indication that his seven-year project would become the cultural touchstone it is today.
Those photographs have since been published in monograph form and have enjoyed multiple exhibitions around the world including showings at the Tate Gallery, the Fondation Cartier, the 2013 Venice Biennale, and most recently, the 2025 Art X Lagos Fair where prints of his work were displayed at the Federal Palace Hotel.
Ojeikere’s celebration of the beauty of African hairstyling is echoed in Hairstory, a new picture book from Nigerian children’s author, Sope Martins. A former radio presenter at Smooth FM, Martins is also the author of The Greatest Animal in the Jungle, Riddle Riddle, and Teju’s Shadow.
Weaving the objective verity of nonfiction with the lyricism of poetry, in this book, Martins has created a history lesson detailing the importance hair and coiffure played in precolonial Yoruba cultural norms, slave rebellions in Colombia, and the African-American Pride movement. There is also information on the unique and trademark hairstyles of various African ethnic groups like the Afar people spread across the Somali Peninsula, the Himba in Namibia, and the Baggara in Chad, to cite a few examples.
The inclusion of illustrations by multiple award-winning Nigerian-American artist Briana Mukodiri Uchendu offers complementary visual storytelling. Uchendu’s oil pastel-inspired digital art incorporates an array of African cultural motifs and has a soft dreamlike quality that draws the reader in. In her interpretation of the text, she has created a young protagonist who serves as the audience of the story whilst getting her hair braided at a salon.
In these pictorial layouts, depictions of painful chemical burns or discomfort from hair being pulled too tightly are absent. Haircare in this world is associated with tenderness, warmth and affection, and the diverse stylings are ornate geometrical constructions. As Martins writes, “My hair is Art. Intricate styles decorated with beads, feathers, cowries, and silver, and threaded with gold. Beautiful and bold.”
“My hair is history. Woven into patterns from thousands of years ago.”
“My hair is Ori. Ori is sacred. It is who we are inside.”
With affirmations like these, young readers will learn to take pride in their natural beauty.
In a climate where social media constantly serves up a glut of unattainable beauty standards, a book like Hairstory offers a refreshing antidote to such messaging and should be valued. This quality has earned it favourable comparisons to Hair Love by Matthew A. Cherry and Sulwe by Lupita Nyong’o, two books for younger readers that also affirm Afrocentric beauty, and a healthy self-esteem.
Children’s books play a foundational role in how we see the world. With its unapologetic glorification of African heritage, hair and beauty, Hairstory is a flag-bearer for this genre. Its positive and uplifting message will resonate with both the children it is targeted at, and an older audience.
***Akumbu Uche is a writer and storyteller from Nigeria. Her works have been published by thelagosreview.ng, Aké Review, Brittle Paper, Canthius, The Cincinnati Review, and elsewhere.
