'The Mystical Experience of Little Ajimoh
Status: Design Research
Award: 2023 RIBA London Student Awards, 2023 POC in Architecture Award
Location: Otta, Nigeria
Year: 2023
Type: Neighbourhood Design
Ajimoh is a young girl born in Otta, Nigeria into a family of Egungun traditionalist. She developed Aso-oke weaving and fabric pattern making from her mother as part of the traditions of the Yoruba culture. The indirect gender segregation in Yoruba culture prevents women from participating or allowed into certain sacred spaces of the Egungun ritual. However, with the Egungun festival in Otta, Little Ajimoh is able to overthrow some of the cultural restrictions as a result of her arts and craft skills of fabric weaving and patterned fabric making.
This project uses storytelling to explore cultural identity whilst addressing the socio-cultural issue of gender segregation slightly embedded in the Yoruba culture.
It focuses on celebrating the indigenous arts and crafts of Yoruba women in pre-colonial times, specifically Aso-Oke weaving and patterned fabric through the traditional “Egungun” festival that occurs annually in most Yoruba towns and cities. For this project, the narrative was based in Otta, Nigeria.