Hair Map Series
Handmade paper, gold ink, rice,2023
This is a series I created during my residency at Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts in TN. I have been researching the history of black hair being used as maps to escape enslavement as well as maps of the underground railroad trail. Thinking of the two I wanted to create my own abstract maps. The gold and rice comment on how they would sew seeds, grains, gold and other small trinkets into their cornrows; this allowed them to have something to start with once free. I also hand made the paper from recycled paper to comment on their resourcefulness. By debossing synthetic braids into the paper I was able to create abstract line work similar to what you may see in a traditional road map.
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8.5 x 11 - $200
8.5 x 6- $175