“baby hair and afros” (meditations on hair) - curated by Alayo Akinkugbe

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Taking its title from a lyric in Beyoncé’s song Formation (2016), this exhibition explores the existing social tensions engendered by natural hair, through the presentation of a new generation of artists: Bunmi Agusto, Shaye Gregan, Isabel Okoro, Anya Paintsil, Priscila Rezende and Cameron Ugbodu. Spanning a range of media and techniques, Anya Paintsil and Isabel Okoro explore the intimate act of caring for Afro hair, while Shaye Gregan and Cameron Ugbodu remedy the ridicule they faced in their childhood by producing bold celebrations of its versatility, Priscila Rezende challenges the associated discrimination and stereotypes, and Bunmi Augusto employs hair, braids and dreadlocks to form the architecture of the invented world where her paintings take place.  As stated by the curator:  “Afro hair has been the focus and had a major influence on the work of Black artists for decades. It appears across the globe, from the 1960s film photographs of J.D. 'Okhai Ojeikere, which document traditional hairstyles in Nigeria, to American artist David Hammons' sculpture, Hair Relaxer (1998), which is composed of a chaise-longue and human hair; it is a tongue-in-cheek reference to chemically straightened (relaxed) afro hair. The artists selected for the exhibition share the development of their own personal relationships with their hair, and how this has affected their practice. In their work, hair is either physically incorporated as a medium, or frequently represented. They all now share an appreciation and admiration for their own hair, which at times in their lives was a source of frustration or humiliation, given the stigma that afro hair in its natural state has held for centuries in both Western and postcolonial cultures.”  "baby hair & afros" will be on view on Vortic until 9 April 2023.