Oshogbo, Nigeria, c.2007
Hammered aluminum relief
(23 5/8” h. x 15 7/8” w.)

The Woman with Four Breasts is an old Yoruba story.  A depiction of this tale by Isola's uncle, Asiru Olatunde, is on display at the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art (see photo in our Asiru Olatunde bio.).  It is described as follows:
A long time ago, there reigned a king whose wife gave birth to a female child with four breasts. The king was ashamed of his daughter and when she grew up, she chose to leave her father. In the bush (the uncultivated land outside town), she met a hunter, and they got married. Their marriage was based on two promises: he would not abuse her because of her four breasts and she would not cook certain foods that were forbidden to him. The couple's eventual breaking of these two vows led to a fight and the departure of the woman. The woman returned to her father, the king, but she still felt unaccepted and returned to the bush where she became a river. The king searched for his daughter and found the river and returned to his palace and rejoiced. (Smithsonian National Museum of African Art)