Crown is a story of power and cultural self possession, with the primary compositional subject being her hair. Identity lives from what grows from the body. Historically, long black and brown curly hair have been oppressed, with the attempt to take away its power. Hair is what grows from the mind, a temple that to this day fights against social norms and corporate backlash.

Highlighting these Crowns is necessary in a world designed to erase cultural pride and presence.

The piece’s main objective is presence, the kind of presence that asks nothing from the viewer witnessing it. She is turned away, she does not perform for the viewer. She exists entirely for herself.

Rendered entirely in charcoal on paper, this piece took 60+ hours to finalize.