2006, Midwest, Issue #65
I currently split my time between India and Chicago. This current cultural shift allows me to see the similar and different ways women use adornment as self-expression.
This body of work entitled "Hair Pieces" comes from two sources. The memory of growing up in the 70's and watching my mother pile on her hairpieces, creating a fountain of forms and shapes on her head. My three-year-old daughter experimenting with female adornment the same way.
Using a very traditional form of oil paint techniques, I attempt to explore the subtleties, richness and mystery that these hair creations hold for me. Through painting I am able to create situations and express emotions that may not be as easy in daily life.
I am struck at how much feeling and emotion is revealed in a simple hairpiece. Eroticism, hope, sadness, and disappointment exist simultaneously in these works.