In our latest adventure,we collaborated with Eunice Konan* and Saskia Powell in a photographic exhibition "celebrating beauty, expression & belonging”.
The exhibition featured the artistic styling of the Newtown-based hair salon, Fatou’s Hair Architects, a stalwart of African style in Sydney’s inner west for the past 25 years. The portraits are set against the streets of Newtown, which are as colourful and diverse, as the hairstyles captured.
African hair styling has been the center of curiosity, misconceptions, taboos...and the list is endless!
For too long black women have lived through narratives about what is acceptable in HOW to wear their hair. It’s only in recent years that we have taken the stance that how it grows is how it’s meant to be worn! Then we, and only we, have the creative license to style it whichever way we please. This was amidst a backlash, especially from large hair product manufacturing companies that profited from selling chemicals to straighten our hair to an “aesthetically pleasing” standard. Not taking into account the potential harm these chemicals cause.
It was a night full of inspiration, fun, laughter, good food and music - African style. You really can take the girls out of Africa but you can never take Africa out the girls lol!
xx
2SS
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We acknowledge the Gadigal of the Eora Nation, the traditional custodians of this land and pay our respects to the Elders both past, present and emerging.
The event was held at Chrisie Cotter Gallery Camperdown as part of the Open Inner West Festival, a 10 days celebration of Culture and Diversity through Art, Theatre and Workshops. It was funded by Inner West Council and supported by STARTTS.
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*Eunice Konan is Ivorian-born, French-raised, Sydney-based photographer behind the work which tells the stories of cultures transplanted, but deeply connected to their roots
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It took a village to get here:
Exhibition short films: Saskia Powell.
Models: Ebube, Rahma, Catherine, Adut.
Bellies filled by: A Little Lagos www.alittlelagos.com
Set design: Vitenje - https://vitenje.com
🎧: Ayebatonye
BTS and capturing those glorious moments📸: Kobla photography https://koblaweb.wordpress.com/ and Daniel Kukec photography https://www.danielkukec.com/
Modeling agency: Anyier Model Management - https://anyiermodelmanagement.com.au/
💇🏾♀️: @styled_by_mapenzi.
Creative directors and curation: @2sydneystylists.