Nelson Igbinovia (Fenome)

Nelson wears the agbada, a ceremonial garment of the Yoruba people of Southwest Nigeria. It has three pieces: a wide-sleeved outer robe, an inner tunic, and trousers. Men wear it for the moments that matter, naming ceremonies, weddings, chieftaincy rites, and celebrations of life.

Around his neck and wrist are cowrie shells, Owo Eyo in Yoruba. They are among the oldest symbols of wealth, spirituality, and protection in West African tradition. They are sacred to Oshun, the orisha of love and abundance, and are worn as armor for the spirit and a link to the ancestors.

The fabric is white. In Yoruba culture white is the color of ori, the inner spiritual self, and of the ancestors who walk with the living. It stands for purity, dignity, and arrival.

NELSON IGBINOVIA (FENOME) · AGBADA, YORUBA PEOPLE, SOUTHWEST NIGERIA · MINNESOTA · ARCHIVE NOTE, 2026