Our Hair Holds Memories
2023‘Our Hair Holds Memories’ marks Ehiko Odeh’s second solo exhibition at BAND Gallery, building upon her 2019 series that delves into hairstyles, hair products, and tools. Upon her arrival in Canada to study at OCAD, Odeh grappled with the challenge of finding community as she commuted from Hamilton to Toronto. It was through braiding hair that she fostered connections in the city. Her paintings explore the idea that the attention Black people give to our hair can create moments of intimacy, vulnerability, and trust. These moments, in turn, become vessels for our creativity and expertise.
The hair we see and touch, serves as a powerful medium for self-expression, confidence, defiance, and sensuality, echoing a cultural heritage passed from hand to hand. Crafting a hairstyle is filled with anxious anticipation, inspiration from others, and an affirmation of selfhood. The process of doing and undoing that characterizes our hair care feels like a cycle of renewal, offering a comforting sense of familiarity and a touchstone to which to return.
Odeh’s work is inspired by the hand-painted advertisements commonly seen outside hair salons across Africa and the Caribbean, designed to showcase the stylist’s capabilities and attract potential clients. Her fluid brushwork and choice of colours evoke the aging and weathering of these wall ads, capturing the passage of time on the facades of hair salons. The artist’s depictions of hair products also delves into the nefarious aspects of the hair care industry. While the products she chooses to paint might evoke nostalgia and childhood memories for some, they also hint to the harmful ingredients often found in products marketed for Black or natural hair. Beginning in the 1870s, Black people faced societal pressures to chemically alter their hair to align with Eurocentric beauty ideals.
Choosing to embrace natural hair today often requires re-educating oneself about organic care methods. Navigating an industry rife with bias and minimal regulation, reading ingredient lists becomes crucial. This vigilance safeguards against both the commodification of our hair’s historical significance and the lingering insecurities rooted in colonial dehumanization. Odeh reminds us that the vitality of Africans and their descendants' hair begins with how we nourish our body and what we consume. Once our strands grow out of our scalp, the products we use serve as an aftercare.
‘Our Hair Holds Memories’ encapsulates Ehiko Odeh’s profound ethos of care. In her work, time seems to pause, acknowledging the timelessness of cultural hair care practices. It evokes the hours spent in a hair salon, those rare moments of healing amidst the urban hustle, emerging with hair that empowers movement even in the most restrictive spaces. Entrusting someone with shaping one’s appearance is a testament of a kinship so deep, we find it in a stranger we come to know as they touch our hair, turning a fleeting encounter into a momentary home.
Curated by Joséphine Denis
The hair we see and touch, serves as a powerful medium for self-expression, confidence, defiance, and sensuality, echoing a cultural heritage passed from hand to hand. Crafting a hairstyle is filled with anxious anticipation, inspiration from others, and an affirmation of selfhood. The process of doing and undoing that characterizes our hair care feels like a cycle of renewal, offering a comforting sense of familiarity and a touchstone to which to return.
Odeh’s work is inspired by the hand-painted advertisements commonly seen outside hair salons across Africa and the Caribbean, designed to showcase the stylist’s capabilities and attract potential clients. Her fluid brushwork and choice of colours evoke the aging and weathering of these wall ads, capturing the passage of time on the facades of hair salons. The artist’s depictions of hair products also delves into the nefarious aspects of the hair care industry. While the products she chooses to paint might evoke nostalgia and childhood memories for some, they also hint to the harmful ingredients often found in products marketed for Black or natural hair. Beginning in the 1870s, Black people faced societal pressures to chemically alter their hair to align with Eurocentric beauty ideals.
Choosing to embrace natural hair today often requires re-educating oneself about organic care methods. Navigating an industry rife with bias and minimal regulation, reading ingredient lists becomes crucial. This vigilance safeguards against both the commodification of our hair’s historical significance and the lingering insecurities rooted in colonial dehumanization. Odeh reminds us that the vitality of Africans and their descendants' hair begins with how we nourish our body and what we consume. Once our strands grow out of our scalp, the products we use serve as an aftercare.
‘Our Hair Holds Memories’ encapsulates Ehiko Odeh’s profound ethos of care. In her work, time seems to pause, acknowledging the timelessness of cultural hair care practices. It evokes the hours spent in a hair salon, those rare moments of healing amidst the urban hustle, emerging with hair that empowers movement even in the most restrictive spaces. Entrusting someone with shaping one’s appearance is a testament of a kinship so deep, we find it in a stranger we come to know as they touch our hair, turning a fleeting encounter into a momentary home.
Curated by Joséphine Denis
Photography by BAND Gallery
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