Oya is a visual hymn to the Orisha of winds, storms, and transformation. In Yoruba tradition, Oya is the fierce guardian of the cemetery gates, the mother of nine, and the force that clears the path for renewal. She commands lightning and tempest, sweeping away what no longer serves to make way for what must be born.

Before the transatlantic slave trade, Orisha worship was central to Yoruba culture, woven into daily life as both spiritual guidance and a celebration of ancestry. But with colonization and the spread of Christianity, these traditions were systematically suppressed and rebranded as “pagan” and erased from public practice. Still, they survived, carried in the memories of the enslaved, hidden in songs, rituals, and symbols that traveled across oceans.

In this painting, Oya’s presence rises in the swirling colors. A storm in motion, both destruction and creation. She is a reminder that change is rarely gentle, but always necessary.

While painting Oya, the artist had a unique experience. She felt the guidance of the orisha in her painting process. The use of the symbolism in the number nine, the hair which is shaped in the form of bull horns and the use of colors all bring ode to the orisha. When she finished the painting the artist cried. Not out of sadness but because she felt the connection to Oya and she had a wave of peace flushing over her.