Afro Girl

Pyrography, acrylic on wood.

24x24x1"

I created this work from photographs of my mother taken when she was much younger, during her teenage years. Through these old images, I began reflecting on my own relationship with natural hair, identity, and the journey toward self-acceptance.

Growing up with short natural hair, I often felt that wearing it out was a form of punishment. I disliked going to school and being laughed at because my hair was not styled. I hated going outside without feeling that my hair was properly done, and for a long time, I struggled to accept my natural appearance.

As I have grown older, I have found myself wanting to reconnect with my roots and learn to love myself more fully, including embracing who I am as a brown-skinned woman. Yet, learning to love my natural hair has not always been easy.

This work reflects that ongoing journey. The photographs of my mother connect me to an earlier generation while also encouraging me to look inward—to understand where I come from and to reconsider the beauty I once struggled to see in myself.

For me, embracing natural hair is more than a change in appearance. It is an act of acceptance, healing, and reclaiming a part of myself that I once felt pressured to hide. Through this work, I ask: How do we learn to love the parts of ourselves that we were once taught not to love?