Ivorian artist Laetitia Ky creates sculptural hairstyles, usually with her own hair, but in a rare departure she involves her younger sibling to illustrate their bond
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his image represents the strong bond I have with my little sister Florencia. We grew up with a very deep connection, and I consider her my best friend. I create sculptural hairstyles using my natural hair as a material. I add some extensions, and shape it with thread and wire.
A sculpture can take me from 30 minutes to more than six hours. Each hairstyle is based on an idea or message I want to convey, then I construct it step by step before photographing it myself with my camera and tripod. My book, Love and Justice, combines images of these sculptures with my reflections on feminism, identity and women’s experiences.
Growing up in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, I was surrounded by beauty standards influenced by colonial history, where straight hair was often seen as more beautiful. I was four when I was given my first hair relaxer – by my mom. You can’t blame parents. Everyone was using hair relaxer; no one questioned it. But it really affected how I saw myself at a young age.
