Cuzzin It

Synthetic Polymer & Wood

55x16x14in

As a girl my hair was always seen as something to be constrained and maintained. When it was not, it was described as a “mop” or “wild.” There were names for the curly strands that would kink up into balls and pain when they had to be forced out through the tug of a comb. I did my best to accept the painful rituals of binding it, straightening it and pulling it tight. I felt a sense that the summation of my worth sat on top of my head and not necessarily within it. Yet through the years I’ve learned the pervasive and unspoken truth - women of color don’t play tag because we’ve always been It.