Hair Map Series

Handmade paper, gold ink, rice | 2023

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Created during my residency at Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts in Tennessee, this series explores the layered history of Black hair as both a form of resistance and a tool for liberation. Inspired by accounts of hair being braided into map-like patterns to guide enslaved people along the Underground Railroad, I reimagine these routes through abstract visual maps.

The gold ink and embedded rice reference the practice of sewing seeds, grains, gold, and other small items into cornrows—preparing for survival and self-sufficiency once freedom was reached. I hand-crafted the paper from recycled materials to honor the ingenuity and resourcefulness of those who came before us.

Each piece is debossed with synthetic braids, creating linework reminiscent of traditional road maps—mapping a journey not just of geography, but of resilience and identity.

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Sizes available:
8.5 x 11 in
8.5 x 6 in