Caribbean Friendship Bracelet is one of the earliest works from my I Am My Hair series, a body of work that explores identity, memory, beauty standards, and the complicated relationship many Black women have with their hair. The piece is currently included in Fiber Forward at The Gallery at Yellow Studio in Cross River, New York, on view from May 30 through June 28, 2026.
The work began with rope.
I started wrapping and binding lengths of rope with yarn, recycled sari thread, ribbon, and fabric, slowly building forms that resembled braids, twists, locs, and tangled strands of memory. Brightly colored threads became extensions of personality and lived experience. What emerged was something playful on the surface, but rooted in deeper conversations around touch, identity, and belonging.
Hair carries history. It carries ritual, care, discipline, celebration, shame, pride, labor, and survival. For many Black women, hair is never “just hair.” It can shape how we move through the world and how the world responds to us.
Growing up, I learned early that hair could determine whether you were considered presentable, distracting, professional, acceptable, or beautiful. I remember the sting of hot combs, relaxers, tight braids, and being told my hair needed to be “managed” or “tamed.” I also remember the intimacy of sitting between someone’s knees while they braided my hair, the sound of beads clicking together, and the quiet rituals of care passed between generations.
This piece also reflects the experience of having personal boundaries crossed. The casual reaching out. The touching without permission. The fascination placed onto Black hair as though it were public property. Through this work, I wanted to create a space to reflect on those moments while also opening a bridge for conversation and understanding.
Part of the making process became communal. I invited people into my studio to wrap rope alongside me while we shared stories about our relationships with hair, beauty, family, and self-image. Their hands and conversations became embedded within the work itself.
The title Caribbean Friendship Bracelet speaks to connection, exchange, and collective memory. Like friendship bracelets passed from hand to hand, these wrapped strands hold traces of the people who touched them, contributed to them, and shared space during their making.
At its core, this work is about claiming space and honoring the fullness of who we are, in all our textures, complexities, and transformations.
