Tomi Alisha

“My goal was to illustrate the “helping” hands and tools that have supported the alteration and manipulation of past, present, and future black hair. Tools of the past were presented as innocent and helpful instruments to encourage the transformation of unwanted and untamed black hair into good, straight, and well-groomed tresses. These tools have eaten away at the self-esteem of a nation. Although pretty, they are pretty painful. These beautiful hands hold the tools that shaved, cut, bruised, and battered the beauty of my culture. They orchestrate the self-hate that fuels the beauty industry and capitalizes on the longing for curly hair to be accepted, tolerated, and loved. My sculptures are made with plastic, sand, wood, and metal. They are replicas of the many elements that society has berated us with to use for sewing up our curls, pricking our scalps, ripping out our hair, straightening our texture, and manipulating our minds and bodies in an effort to erase our culture and dignified art form. Although I cannot detail the origin of this hate, my sculptures will attract and educate any audience on the harmful culture of the beauty industry vs black hair.”
-Tomi Alisha

Click here to view Tomi’s Round 2 portfolio.