Many of my early themes covered Nigerian culture and religious folklore.

“In Oya’s Battle, she is the goddess of wind. Oya grows a beard when she is ready to fight. She is tall and beautiful. I’m sure I thought this story was so different having the woman in a physical battle and winning. The movement of the figures and items shows the power of the fight. This piece has a large use of patterns on the fabric, as actual African clothes. The skin is painted with leather dye. This is one of my last gourds with the woodburning tool. Now that I’m looking back and writing about it, I think I would like to use it again on a new piece.