Black White and Thread exhibits the history of black hair

Varying displays of the history of black hair bedeck the walls of Fine Arts Gallery (photo by Amy Rose).

The Art and Design Building’s Fine Art Gallery springs into the semester with work by VCU professor and artist, Sonya Clark, in her exhibit “Black and White and Thread All Over.”

The exhibit will be shown until Feb. 21, in conjunction with the Department of African and African American Studies and in honor of Black History Month.

 In this exhibit, Clark brings together small materials in order to create a commentary on the politics and culture surrounding black hair. Namely, she explores the history of power tied to certain styles of hair and the tools associated with it.

Most notable is the “Madam CJ Walker” piece, an iconic portrait of Madam Walker recreated entirely with combs.

When viewed up close, the finer details such as the combs’ teeth and how each one is linked together are much clearer.   From afar, however, they all blend into a beautiful whole without detracting from each comb’s importance.

Clark wrote that the combs speak volumes on the nation’s legacy of hair culture and the gender and race issues surrounding it. In the exhibit’s brochure, Clark explains that, “As disposable objects, [combs] parallel the low social status of African American women born in the late 1800s. But together, the thousands of combs become a monumental tapestry, signifying Walker’s magnitude and success despite her humble beginnings.”

In addition to the exhibit, an artist lecture and reception will be held in the gallery on Feb. 4 at 1:30 p.m. For more information on Clark and her work, visit sonyaclark.com.

To read the full article, please check out the lifestyle section in the upcoming issue of Fourth Estate.