Type 4 is the title of my project, referring to my hair texture. Hair has always been a form of expressing my identity as a young black woman. It has also been a way to bond with loved ones; my mother, sisters, aunts and friends. Sitting down between their legs and sharing stories, having someone to vent to for hours until the last braid is braided. Doing hair is extremely time consuming but every minute is filled with love and care.
As a child I’d sit down on a traditional Ugandan mat called a Mukeeka and my mum would comb, blow-dry and plait my hair for almost a whole day. Sitting down on this mat for long durations would make my feet, legs, bottom and hands numb. Mukeekas have a ribbed texture as they are woven plastic, so this would imprint into my skin. To encapsulate this experience, I Inked a Mukeeka, layered an 8-metre roll of brown paper and replicated positions I sat in to do my hair. Duration and discomfort were themes that arose from this idea of hair being an experience rather than just strands that grow from our scalps. I represent duration through the concertina’s expandable nature, and the folds between each print/position are a representation of the discomfort I felt from bending my knees, elbows and neck. Each page contains a hand-rendered narrative in the tone of my voice and how I felt while getting my hair done by my mother.
Ink replicated the imprints that remained after sitting down for hours on a mukeea. A bumpy texture on the brown paper as well as the dimples my own weight was created.