Àṣàkẹ́

Àṣàkẹ́, a lovechild, was born to a town chief and pepper seller in Ile-Ife, Western Nigeria. She spent her early years with her mother, who showered her with as much love and affection as she could offer. Àṣàkẹ́’s mother always worried that given the power and class imbalance between her and her daughter’s father, Àṣàkẹ́ would eventually be taken from her. She wanted Àṣàkẹ́ to remember her, to remember the women of their tribe who came before them, to remember their little home in Ile-Ife and the beauty that their home and culture held. So Àṣàkẹ́’s mother took her to the neighbourhood onikola(scarifier) and asked for her child to be given their native pele tribal mark. It was painful and ha...View all