For many cultures, hair offers a connection to deep, long-standing traditions.
With un/tangling, un/covering, un/doing on now at the Surrey Art Gallery, ten artists from across Canada explore that concept and offer their own stories for how different hair stylings can act as personal expression, a tether to family and ancestors, or in some cases, a form of resistance.
Whether it’s in loosely coiled curls or a tight braid, throughout history, hair has been a BIPOC symbol of pride against assimilation and colonialization. This exhibition celebrates how the ritual of hair care speaks as a challenge to oppressors. For example, how women in Iran cut off strands of their hair in protest of their hostile treatment throughout history, or how the wearing of hijabs and turbans has been banned in some countries, forcing cultural assimilation
Hair has become a fitting symbol for these types of stories. While a single hair on its own can break or be pulled out, joined together as a braid, they becomes something stronger, withstanding the firmest pulls from an outside force.
un/tangling, un/covering, un/doing runs from January 20 – March 17, 2024
You can learn more about the show here.
Gallery events related to un/tangling, un/covering, un/doing :
Feb 9 – Winter Opening and Panel Discussion: A panel discussion with exhibiting artists Becky Bair, Baljit Singh, and Clare Yow, with assistant curator Suvi Bains, and a poetry performance by Natasha Kianipour.
Feb 21 – A film screening with community partner The Black Arts Centre
Mar 2 – Conversations and Film Screening: Roots of Love
Surrey Art Gallery: From King George Skytrain Station, take the R1 Newton Exchange bus to 88th Ave. It’s about a 5-minute walk from there!
To easily plan the route for your next artistic outing, you can use the TransLink Trip Planner.