Oya, Orisha of the wind, lightning and storms

 (Watercolour and ink, 18 x 24 Inches), 2023

In Yorùbá, the name Ọya means "she tore." The wind, the tornado, the hurricane—all of these are the domain of the great and powerful orisha Oya. She is the active embodiment of change. Oya can very often manifest as change in the form of severe weather. She is the lightning strike that hits with insane accuracy. Oya's Ashe, or sacred life force, is said to reside in the Niger River, which in the Yoruba