34. Black Hair Flag

Date: 2010

Dimensions: 4ft 4in x 2ft

Medium: Cloth, paint, and embroidered thread

Description: Traditional African American hairstyling techniques become the stars and stripes of the American flag against a backdrop of the Confederate Battle flag. The piece celebrates the roles African Americans played in the building of our nation. Black Hair Flag bridges two potent textile signifiers of culture and heritage: flags and hairdressing. The hairstyling techniques used refer to African people (Bantu knots) and the labor (cornrows).

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