"Don't Touch My Hair" emerged as a therapeutic, experimental piece while I was cleaning my palette. It embodies the residual colors from my previous works, which I spontaneously applied to the canvas using a palette knife. This process created a vivid, abstract background for the central figure.
The figure, an abstract representation of a Black woman, is rendered in black oil paint. It's composed of geometric shapes and freeform lines, culminating in a distinctively deformed afro. This feature inspired the painting's title, a defiant declaration of autonomy and respect.
The background's colors reflect the complex duality of being a Black woman: beauty intertwined with pain. The application technique, reminiscent of abstract rainfall, suggests tears and sadness, echoing the challenges Black women face regarding their hair in a Western society that has simultaneously failed to appreciate and exoticized their natural beauty.
Yet, these same colors also radiate beauty, vibrancy, and upliftment, celebrating the Black woman's love and appreciation for her hair. The painting honors the diversity of Black women – in our hair, shapes, figures, and complexions. It's a visual testament to our strength found in beauty, a beauty as layered and multifaceted as our very beings. The background's diversity parallels the variety inherent in Black womanhood.
Oil Paint on Canvas
20x24
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