When Korantema Anyimadu was a kid, her mom worked multiple jobs. But she always set aside Friday evenings to braid her daughter's hair—it was the only time that the pair spent one-on-one together."At the time, it was the pits, because I was impatient, it was painful, and it was uncomfortable sitting on the floor in between her legs for two hours," the curator and charity officer remembers now. "I now appreciate the time she made to do that—it must have been a labour of love for her."
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Throughout Anyimadu's life, though, her hair has also been the "battleground of a ton of microaggressions," she says. Growing up, an elementary school classmate called her plaits "devil horns." A man once tried to pick a fight with her after she made him stop plunging his hands into her hair. She's lost count of how many times people described her hair as "weird."Anyimadu held on to these memories while curating her new London show, Plaits, Princesses + Pink Moisturizer. Along with her cousin, photographer Nana Ama, Anyimadu shot and interviewed 25 Black women, nonbinary people, and femmes about how their hair influences their identity and everyday lives. "I asked each person to choose an object that reminded them of their hair and used that as a focal point when I interviewed them," Anyimadu explains.The objects—which include hair extensions, a hot comb, and Dax pomade—are now on exhibit as part of the show. "That was really important to me, because even though the objects are really different, each story is equally intimate and unique to that person."Labour politician Dawn Butler, Women Who founder and Little Black Book author Otegha Uwagba, and drag king Wesley Dykes are all featured in the show. But Londoner Anyimadu was also keen to highlight less recognized people whom she admired in her neighborhood, including local soccer players, a choir leader, and one nurse who worked in her local hospital. "It's a homage, to those people who are silently getting shit done!" Anyimadu says.
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Below, check out some of the photos and interview testimonies from Plaits, Princesses + Pink Moisturizer.
Dawn, MP
Hot Comb
Gloria, museum officer
Headscarf
Joyce, foster carer
Duku
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Otegha, Women Who founder and Little Black Book author
The Holy Trinity
Asha, student
Bobbles
Destinée, student
Medals
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Djamila, student
Wide Toothed Comb
Wesley Dykes, drag king
"I Am Not My Hair"
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"I think hair is very important to my identity, on a surface level I have psoriasis on my scalp which was stress induced when my dad died when I was 21, so I’m always hyper aware of that. But also, I’m loc-ing my hair at the moment, and it’s a process that requires me to be extremely patient. My hair is a physical reminder all the time to chill. My favourite lyric is 'I looked in the mirror for the first time and saw' because I think at that point, that was not happening at all for me and I couldn’t wait to get to that point."
Lisa, Leyton Orient Women’s Football Club player
The Simpsons
Chanel, Leyton Orient Women’s Football Club player
Dax
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