Ungroomed (Myself)
Ungroomed (Kayla)
Ungroomed (Apoorva)
Ungroomed (Laura), Performed piece for the duration of the show
Ungroomed (Hairy Pedestal)
The story of my hair began when, after moving to the U.S. in 5th grade, I became conscious of it. Upon realizing that girls around me did not seem to have a single hair and were shaving as early as 5th grade, I became self-conscious and started shaving too. It was not until coming to Carleton that I saw women who did not shave. The decision to stop shaving was liberating. I was freed from the anxiety of believing that a part of me is dirty and ugly. I am now proud to show off my un-plucked eyebrows, dark armpit hair, and long leg hair.
The Malayalee culture to which my family belongs has strong mores with regards to hair, which falls in and out of step with American mores. Long hair is seen as a way to distinguish woman from man. It is so iconic that every woman over the age of 10 has hair that grows past their shoulders. So my decision to cut it off was a huge shock in my family. The decision is treated as broader evidence of my Americanization and departure from values. This backlash from those I loved was inspiration for me to start this project.
This series tells the stories of four women who are donating their hair for the project. I had conversations with each of them about their hair experiences: the parts of their hair that they love and the parts that they feel society doesn’t accept. Each person and their story inspire the sculptures. By working with these women, I have created a personal project that does not rely on archetypical narratives. Each piece has follicles so that, when fired, they too are naturally hairy and are sowed with hair donated by each woman.