There is more to hair than washing, combing and cutting. It is an extraordinary fibre with a range of unexpected possibilities. The new exhibition at the Horniman Museum & Gardens puts the substance before the style and unlocks the untold stories of hair.
Image credit: Habiba Nabisubi
From jewellery and dresses to armour and environmental protection, the show highlights the qualities of hair as a material.
Image credit: Habiba Nabisubi
It also explores our complex relationship with hair both on, and off, our heads – how and why we care so much about our hair, and how hair is entangled with society’s expectations and our relationships to others.
Weaving in stories from Forest Hill hairdressers to the global hair trade, and featuring the work of artists, film makers, designers and members of the public, Hair: Untold Stories is intimate, surprising and wide-ranging.
The exhibition also features an installation from Korantema Anyimadu. The hair shop installation explores the experiences of Black women and non-binary people with their hair in the UK.
Curated in partnership with Emeritus Professor of Anthropology Emma Tarlo and Goldsmiths, University of London. Hair: Untold Stories is the inaugural exhibition created for the Museums and Galleries Network for Exhibition Touring (MAGNET). The lead curator for the Horniman is Dr Sarah Byrne.
Banner image and exhibition illustrations by Habiba Nabisubi.
Dates: 4 Dec 2021 - 19 June 2022: open daily (except Wednesdays)
Times: 10am-5.30pm
Tickets: Free
For further information: https://www.horniman.ac.uk/event/hair-untold-stories/