STRONG HAIR

STRONG HAIR by Yatreda is a collection of 100 looping portraits which merges the diversity and power of African hair with the blockchain. In Ethiopia, hairstyles are sculptures full of meaning. Sometimes just by looking at someone, you can identify their nation or tribe. Hair can be a social signal and a status symbol. Many of our local hairstyles are disappearing. When we lose a hairstyle, we lose a visual language that may never be repeated again. Thousands of years of culture has created these looks.

• Collection: 100 1/1 artworks launched on Foundation
• Featured: Paris Photo 2023, Fellowship
• Winner: Award of Distinction, Prix Ars Electronica 2022

CREATING STRONG HAIR

To capture a complete view of the hairstyle, Yatreda designed and oversaw the construction of a metal platform with a 360 degree spinning camera arm. The rig was made completely with local materials and inspired and underscore that anything can be done by hand.