I See (Wo)men As Trees is a poetic visual meditation on ancestry, identity, and the feminine experience." The exhibition’s title and works are rooted in the memories of a year-long journey of the artist watching her home and art studio take shape in a vast open landscape alongside the distant silhouettes of two other women unknown to her, each constructing their own havens. This daily visual encounter inspired Taiye's reinterpretation of the biblical verse 'I see men like trees, walking' (Mark 8:24) – reimagined as 'I See (Wo)men As Trees' – reflecting the strength, resilience, and beauty of women's experiences."
The exhibition consists of four distinct series: Wade in the Water, I See (Wo)men As Trees, Emancipated but Not Free, and Hairhythm. Each series draws on Taiye’s personal reflections and broader cultural narratives, forming a cohesive yet complex narrative centred around the metaphors of trees, water, and hair. These natural elements symbolise resilience, growth, and the ongoing tension between freedom and confinement.
The harmonious blending of the women’s soft brown skin with the reddish ground and wooden beams, their earthy tones evoke stability and inner strength, while the translucent figures express the ongoing journey of emancipation.
This exhibition reminds us that women’s stories, much like trees, are ancient, connected, enduring, and ever-evolving, testaments to the power of growth and the strength of shared history.
