Shanie Crowe turns braids into art!

Shani Crowe’s exhibition : Braids at the MoCADA

Copyright Shani Crowe.

Following my next assignment on Blogging U (critic a piece of work) I’ve selected Shani Crowe’s exhibition in the United States.

© Shani Crowe

Shani Crowe is a Chicago based artist. She received a Bachelor degree of Arts from the Howard University, in Washington DC.

She’s an interdisciplinary artist. Her work is centered on cultural coiffure and beauty ritual. You can find more about her, here.

With this photography exhibit at the MoCADA (Museum of Contemporary African Diasporan Arts), in Brooklyn, she gives a positive image on braids.

Her project’s been crowd funded by 3Arts: “works to sustain and promote Chicago Artists”.

A couple of weeks ago, I shared with you my experience: Nappy back to the roots.

There’re so many different ways to style our hair: afro, extensions, buns… and braids are one of them.

Braids are part of afrowomen’s culture: they’re a part of me.

Braids are universal, both colored and white women have been using them for decades.

But for us, it’s different.

Kinky hair has a different texture than straight hair and braids represent the best way to style natural hair for colored women. It’s part of our routine.

That’s why I found Shani Crowe’s initiative so interesting and meaningful. She highlights one of our traditions and gives another perspective to the public through art.

Beauty is really subjective, it doesn’t have a color nor a special type of women (for me it’s more about accepting yourself the way you are, the real you:) !).

Turning braids into art is a great way of recognition!

It shows that one can find diversity of beauty everywhere.

Braids are unisex and super-versatile.

It’s more about tolerance and acceptance towards colored people. In addition to that, it’s bring a new look on the world we are living in.

Women have been wearing braids for generations now, whether they were going for natural or box braids.

They make us unique. It’s a way to express ourselves. What I like about them is that they present different designs and techniques, for any skill level. It’s a way to protect our hair and to be beautiful as well.

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Pics found on Pinterest. No copyright or infringement intended.

As a child, I used to get my hair braided by my mother and my sisters. I began braiding a couple years ago. Braids keep my hair healthy & hydrated and protect them from factors like extreme weather conditions, while still promoting growth. They need low-maintenance (especially box braids) than other afro hairstyles and will provide less breakage.

You can wear them for days without worrying about your hair and style them differently with hair accessories through the weeks.
It can take upwards of one hour or so to get braids done if you have volume and long hair. Add up four to six hours for box braids (hair extensions, more work 🙂 !).

Sometimes in our French society, it’s really challenging to keep our natural hair due to societal misgivings about colored people mostly. Nowadays, one can see that at so many levels: work, cosmetics, commercials, fashion, etc…

So that’s why this exhibition is so important. Not only it provides a powerful communication tool towards the public but it gives another look at women of all ages.

So maybe everyone can say:

Woooow, this is so beautiful, I think I should try a new haircut and maybe go to work with braids!

And accept who we are and what make us unique.

You can find her on instagram, here .

See you next time!

Houssnati Baraka.