Hair-Itage (2023)

"From identifications of kinship and social status to mapping routes to escape slavery, the act of hair braiding has long been a powerful ritual of care among Black people. It is at once the legacy of our ancestors, the memory of our enslavement, and the source of our resistance. Nevertheless, Black hair continues to be perceived in mainstream society as less beautiful and less professional than non-Black hair, despite pervasive efforts to diversify these beauty norms. 

In this live performance, I attempt to reclaim the resilience of Black bodies expressed in braiding. The viewer is invited into a space where my Black body is in constant movement as I braid hair that hangs from a circular structure. I do so by feeding in new pieces of hair to produce braids of varying lengths that touch the floor. My fingers are conscious, meticulously gesturing ancestral practice—the repetitive motions of my fingers recall the labour of my Black heritage and ancestral path to survival.

On the other side of the circular structure, the viewer can see moss growing out of the loom and this creates a new environment, as if the viewer entered a portal where an oasis of moss and green plants thrives. The long, braided hairs entwined with the flora and fauna create a sacred space, with hair and moss coiling in sync. The live performance communicates symbolic meaning and resistance: performance art as self-care."

—Fadwa Bouziane