Odera is proudly featured in MOA's Sankofa: African Routes, Canadian Roots exhibition, currently showing until March 2022. "Sankofa" is the idea of moving forward while reaching back to connect to one’s heritage. It is the notion that taking pride in heritage helps us to move into the future. Sankofa comes from the Ghanaian Akan language, and the word and its essence have been adopted by many African and Black people around the globe as an expression of cultural and political affirmation.

Black Crown is a collection inspired by the magic and variety of Black hair. Each sketch featured in this zine is a mixed media study of texture and form, reflecting and documenting the hairstyles, braiding traditions, and fresh cuts amongst people of the African Diaspora. Black Crown is dedicated to embracing the diversity and nuance of individual and collective hair journeys within the Black community.

Odera Igbokwe is an illustrator and painter located in Vancouver, B.C., from Brooklyn, New York. Odera loves to explore storytelling through Afro-diasporic mythologies, Black resilience, and magical girl transformation sequences. Their work alchemizes colour, movement, and queer magic to weave together ancient narratives with Afrofuturist visions. As a freelance illustrator, Odera works with clients and galleries to create work that is deeply personal, soulful, and intersectional.

---

• 5 x 7"
• Printed on semi-gloss paper, saddle-stitched
• Artist is paid royalties