Roots addresses the cut or twisted relationship Blacks have with their African heritage and Blackness that is partially expressed through the celebration and presentation of our natural hair. I used personal archival photographs to present a "quilt" of three generations of hair from my mother's side of the family. In tangent with the multimedia piece roots., don't touch Our hair also demonstrates this spirtual-esque relationship black Women have with their curly crowns. Deemed dirty and unprofessional, femme-presenting Blacks are pressured "fix" their hair to fit normative beauty standards. This piece also addresses when Our hair is presented in its natural state, the dehumanizing and problematic interest of touching and petting hair that's been systemically othered or otherwise unfamiliar.
Music sampled from Sonny Sharrock's Black Woman (1969).
Music sampled from Sonny Sharrock's Black Woman (1969).
Presented at Basement Gallery “Colors” Exhibition in 2021