Artist Laetitia Ky is creating sculptures from own hair and it's got us all tangled up
She has turned a fun experiment into an occupation
PHOTO: INSTAGRAM/LAETITIA KY
ABIDJAN:
There’s almost no image Ivorian artist Laetitia Ky can’t sculpt from her own hair. Depending on her mood, she can shape her thick black tresses into light bulbs, trees, trumpets, bicycles or even cupcakes.
Pakistani actor Sajid Hasan's hair transplant goes wrong
What started out as a fun experiment has now turned into something of an occupation for the 21-year-old, as she seeks to use black hair as a medium for social commentary on topics such as feminism, pop culture and racism.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BjmnVsxlmWH/?taken-by=laetitiaky
Ky thought of the idea when she came across an Instagram account showing photos of African women in traditional dresses, with their natural hair arranged in eclectic styles.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BjUe0QMF7YY/?taken-by=laetitiaky
“I was amazed by the hairstyles. I told myself: My God, how can we do this with hair?” the artist said, at her flat in Ivory Coast’s commercial capital, Abidjan.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BjIGuHyFZTu/?taken-by=laetitiaky
Ky played with various props to shape her hair - from metal wires, to hangers and pieces of kaleidoscopic “African print” fabric. She posted photos of her work on social media and her popularity rose to more than 80,000 followers on Instagram and almost 35,000 on Facebook.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BiFg8PdFMCS/?taken-by=laetitiaky
On a continent where many women hide their naturally afro hair, often by stitching on wigs in so called weaves, celebrating black hair has become a political statement.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bgy3Q4dl5Ch/?taken-by=laetitiaky
In January, Ky posted a series of photos encouraging women to have a more positive perception of their bodies, with hairstyles designed to draw attention to curves and armpit hair.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BgFM2rJHqPO/?taken-by=laetitiaky
“Highlighting black beauty is very important for me,” she said.
Last year, Ky also drew attention to the #MeToo campaign against sexual harassment when she sculpted her hair into the image of a man lifting a woman’s skirt, along with the story of a friend who had narrowly escaped rape.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BgCbH4dl_gQ/?taken-by=laetitiaky
A university graduate in commerce and administration, Ky only recently decided to focus on art. She started working on a fashion line this year.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bcnx2MQnJSf/?taken-by=laetitiaky
Ky’s mother Aicha Sherif - who taught her daughter how to style hair - encouraged her to pursue her dream, instead of trying to steer her into a more “stable” profession, as a more conventional middle-class parent might do.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BcS8qXhHW-u/?taken-by=laetitiaky
Nabila confirmed as official hair and makeup partner for IIFA 2018
“I knew telling her ‘no’ was out of the question,” Sherif said. “I also lived a similar experience. After graduation I also wanted to do design, but at the time, my parents did not see it that way.”
Have something to add to the story? Share in the comments below.
There’s almost no image Ivorian artist Laetitia Ky can’t sculpt from her own hair. Depending on her mood, she can shape her thick black tresses into light bulbs, trees, trumpets, bicycles or even cupcakes.
Pakistani actor Sajid Hasan's hair transplant goes wrong
What started out as a fun experiment has now turned into something of an occupation for the 21-year-old, as she seeks to use black hair as a medium for social commentary on topics such as feminism, pop culture and racism.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BjmnVsxlmWH/?taken-by=laetitiaky
Ky thought of the idea when she came across an Instagram account showing photos of African women in traditional dresses, with their natural hair arranged in eclectic styles.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BjUe0QMF7YY/?taken-by=laetitiaky
“I was amazed by the hairstyles. I told myself: My God, how can we do this with hair?” the artist said, at her flat in Ivory Coast’s commercial capital, Abidjan.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BjIGuHyFZTu/?taken-by=laetitiaky
Ky played with various props to shape her hair - from metal wires, to hangers and pieces of kaleidoscopic “African print” fabric. She posted photos of her work on social media and her popularity rose to more than 80,000 followers on Instagram and almost 35,000 on Facebook.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BiFg8PdFMCS/?taken-by=laetitiaky
On a continent where many women hide their naturally afro hair, often by stitching on wigs in so called weaves, celebrating black hair has become a political statement.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bgy3Q4dl5Ch/?taken-by=laetitiaky
In January, Ky posted a series of photos encouraging women to have a more positive perception of their bodies, with hairstyles designed to draw attention to curves and armpit hair.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BgFM2rJHqPO/?taken-by=laetitiaky
“Highlighting black beauty is very important for me,” she said.
Last year, Ky also drew attention to the #MeToo campaign against sexual harassment when she sculpted her hair into the image of a man lifting a woman’s skirt, along with the story of a friend who had narrowly escaped rape.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BgCbH4dl_gQ/?taken-by=laetitiaky
A university graduate in commerce and administration, Ky only recently decided to focus on art. She started working on a fashion line this year.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bcnx2MQnJSf/?taken-by=laetitiaky
Ky’s mother Aicha Sherif - who taught her daughter how to style hair - encouraged her to pursue her dream, instead of trying to steer her into a more “stable” profession, as a more conventional middle-class parent might do.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BcS8qXhHW-u/?taken-by=laetitiaky
Nabila confirmed as official hair and makeup partner for IIFA 2018
“I knew telling her ‘no’ was out of the question,” Sherif said. “I also lived a similar experience. After graduation I also wanted to do design, but at the time, my parents did not see it that way.”
Have something to add to the story? Share in the comments below.