Ọmọrohun

This painting draws inspiration from an Ogidi-Ela legend rooted in River Ohe and its surrounding landscape. It tells the story of Ọmọrohun, a powerful river goddess whose beautiful daughter was captured by seven fishermen and mistaken for a fish. She was carried from the river to the top of a low hill, crying out for her mother to come to her rescue.

On the hill, driven by greed and ignorance, the fishermen cut her into seven pieces, ready to be shared among themselves. As they prepared to claim their portions, a violent storm suddenly broke out. Thunder, rain, and darkness filled the sky as Ọmọrohun emerged from the river, running toward the hill in anguish.

Terrified by her approach and by the fury of nature itself, the fishermen fled, abandoning the remains on the hill. When the storm finally subsided, the pieces had transformed into seven fish-like stones which, according to legend, remain on the hill to this day.

This painting reflects my enduring interest in memory, myth, and the spiritual relationship between humans and nature. It also echoes my upbringing in rural Africa, where land, story, and belief were inseparable. Here, the storm has passed, but its meaning remains, etched into the landscape as a permanent witness.