I found something interesting while I was tidying up a space at my family home. It was a picture of my paternal grandparents. It’s not as if I hadn’t come across similar pictures before but this time was different. Sure, they were younger in this photo, but that wasn’t what changed. I could easily recognize my grandfather’s tribal marks and my grandmother’s distinct and classic beauty. Maybe it was their clothing? They were dressed in a style appropriate for the time: standard 1940s attire in that region of postcolonial Nigeria. Nothing shocking. Perhaps, it was the preservation of such a photo. Again, it is not unusual for my family to preserve parts of familial history. I soon realized that what I found most amazing was something that I had never thought of until that point…Who really were these people?
The concept of “Ancestry” or “Ancestors” is rather quite interesting. Ancestors usually conjure up the idea that these are relatives who existed years ago, long before you were even considered. They lived so long ago, so many eras before that there can be an inherent detachment.
As my hands clutched tightly to the album and eyes focused on the more than 80-year-old photo of my “ancestors”, I wondered to myself; what they were like? What things were they interested in? What was going on in their lives when this photo was taken?
What a fascinating concept. We look like these people that we don’t even know. We don’t come from the same world or time, but we share the same blood. What may be exciting and sometimes uncomfortable to know is that they likely had a significant effect on our lives. They have had a hand in determining several aspects of our lives like our religious beliefs, schooling and socioeconomic background. We are a reflection of them. Different in some ways yes, but fundamentally the same in the ways that count. Does that mean we should spend more time learning about them, our ancestors? Wouldn’t that make us know more about ourselves. This musing on ancestry is one of the reasons that Oyo Arts and Home Decor was founded. It is a reflection on our personal history. It has been a joy to take inspiration from our culture and cultivate and create great pieces that reflect our unique perspective on Nigeria and West Africa, textiles, artistry, and family.