Irun Kiko

Irun KikoMedium: Acrylic and Oil on 16" x 20" CanvasAvailability: 1 of 1 Original Please enquire for acquisition details. From the Yorb of south western Nigeria. rn kk (threaded hair) is a protective style where sections of hair are wrapped tightly with thread to stretch the hair, reduce daily manipulation, and help prevent breakage. Once wrapped, the hair forms an infrastructure that can be shaped into sculptural designs. In Yorb, rn means hair and kk can be

Medium: Acrylic and Oil on 16" x 20" Canvas
Availability: 1 of 1 Original Please enquire for acquisition details.

From the Yorùbá of south-western Nigeria.

Ìrùn kíkó (threaded hair) is a protective style where sections of hair are wrapped tightly with thread to stretch the hair, reduce daily manipulation, and help prevent breakage. Once wrapped, the hair forms an infrastructure that can be shaped into sculptural designs.

In Yorùbá, ìrùn means “hair” and kíkó can be understood as “gathering” or “collecting”. Many variations are named for what they resemble; from playful forms like “pineapple” and “basket” to architectural references such as Onílé-gógóró (skyscraper) and Eko Bridge.

Historically, hairstyles like Ìrùn kíkó functioned as visual communication, worn alongside other styles such as Ìrùn dídi and Ìrùn bíbà to signal age, status, and social context.

This is a one-of-a-kind original artwork.
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