Art for Acquisition
Come Roll My Hair is a journey, capturing and celebrating stories of hair, family, and patterns. Back in the day, my grandmas would call my siblings and I into her room at any given time to and roll their hair with the iconic pink sponge rollers. It was a bonding moment for us that allotted time for story telling. Learning about their childhood, the family’s history, and secrets intertwined with the space of hair rolling time. Those moments with our elders helped us to define our identity and heritage by reflecting on our origin story. This triptych reflects a turning point in my practice, where painting, performance, and ancestral remembrance converge.
Blacker the Berry, 24 x 48"
Rooted, 24 x 48"
Loose Curls, 24 x 48"
Blacker the Berry
24” x 48”
Watercolor and ink on Canvas, 2024
The story behind the original painting “Blacker the Berry.” Grandma is dark skinned and back in the day, dark skinned folks didn’t necessarily get the same privileges of those with lighter complexions. Grandma let us know that her hair had to be in tiptop shape in order to be taken seriously especially on her job because of her dark skin tone. But she’d always follow up with “But the Blacker the Berry the Sweeter the Juice.” She understood the complexities of colorism yet saw the beauty and sweetness that exists within every shade of blackness, just like the sweetness found in the juiciest of berries.
Rooted
24” x 48”
Watercolor, acrylic and ink on Canvas, 2024
Rooted is a meditation on inheritance, memory, and the quiet wisdom passed down through generations. Inspired by the lessons we learn from our elders, the work draws a parallel between family history and the dandelion, a plant whose roots travel many feet beneath the surface, unseen yet essential.
Loose Curls
24” x 48”
Watercolor, acrylic and ink on Canvas, 2024
My grandma wanted her hair curled and rolled TIGHT, so that it’ll fall loosely and elegantly the next day, embodying the fullness of a crown of hair. A rose mirrors the volume of a curl in a person’s hair. Just as the petals expand, shrink, twist and turn gracefully, so does our hair. Both the rose and the curls symbolize a journey of transformation and self expression. This painting is a celebration of those parallels appreciating the beauty found in both human and nature form.
Sold Paintings from this collection
Come Roll My Hair
Watercolor, Acrylic on Canvas
36” x 48”
2023, New York City
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