Ehiko Odeh

I am a multidisciplinary artist, arts facilitator, arts educator, memory worker and researcher from Lagos, Nigeria. My practice explores the interconnectedness of traditional knowledge systems, cultural identity, and resilience. By incorporating ethnobotany into my life and art, I highlight the importance of preserving Indigenous practices while promoting sovereignty through herbalism and wellness traditions. My creative process delves into the complexities of globalization, its impact on African cultures, its disruption of food systems, and its influence on social structures through narratives of family history, food insecurity, and coiffure as a reflection of economic realities.

I hold a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree and a minor in Creative Writing from OCAD University (2021) I have led workshops alongside Toronto’s Poet Laureate, Lillian Allen(2017). Ehiko is currently an Artist- In- Residence at the Living Arts Centre in Mississauga, she has garnered recognition from the Member of Parliament for Richmond Hill, Ontario(2023) and participated at the DesignTO Festival (2024). Her paintings have been exhibited at Abbozzo Gallery(2024), BAND Gallery(2019 & 2023), The Gladstone House (2021-date), Lagos StreetSouk Festival(2019), Kolkata’s Academy of Fine Art in India(2023), Xpace Cultural Centre(2021), and Nicholas Metivier Gallery(2023). Noteworthy involvements include working with HERMÉS Canada (2023), HAVANA CLUB Artist In Residence (2023), and Foodshare Toronto(2023 & 2024). 
                                           

           Photography by Isabel Okoro