K e l s e y J e w e l @kelseyjewel - Tumblr Blog

UNTITLED

Nigerian-American visual artist Adebunmi Gbadebo creates her work using donated, natural, afro hair as the primary medium.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ade_booms/

Portfolio: https://adebunmi.carbonmade.com/

#Dope #The Ade Series #Adebunmi Gbadebo #Black Art #Black Artist #Black Hair #Locs #Natural Hair #Art #SVA #School of Visual Arts #Nigerian #Nigerian Artist #African-American #African-American Artist #Black Lives Matter #Hair #Black Women

DADA

Nigerian-American visual artist Adebunmi Gbadebo creates her work using donated, natural, afro hair as the primary medium.

“About the title: Babies born with locked hair are considered sacred and are automatically given the name Dàda. Partly because they are thought to be special gifts from the Orisa, and partly because their knots of hair are likened to cowrie shells (money), these children are thought to attract wealth to their parents.

A Dàda’s head is not shaved during the naming ceremonies because it is believed that the knotted hair has special powers. The hair may be washed but must not be combed.”

Type human hair and wire

Dimension 20 feet (height)

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ade_booms/

Portfolio: https://adebunmi.carbonmade.com/

#Black Artist #Black Hair #Dada #SVA #The Ade Series #Adebunmi Gbadebo #Natural Hair #Art #Black Art #New York City #Nigerian #African-American #Natural Movement #Hair #Sculpture

Am I Still Dreadful?

Nigerian-American visual artist Adebunmi Gbadebo creates her work using donated, natural, afro hair as the primary medium.

“This hair belonged to Andrea Johnson who kept her hair in locs for 20 plus years. One day she combed out her locs which took her weeeeks, and gave me two huge bags of loose salt and pepper hair. I wanted to create something that honored what the hair use to be, “dread” locs, while also acknowledging what the hair is now, loose strands of natural hair. So I felted the hair back together to form a single loc.

The title of the piece is called, Am I Still Dreadful? The piece poses the question, now that I am back into this locked form do you still see me as dreadful?”

Date 2015

Type human hair felted

Dimensions 16 x 20 inches

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ade_booms/

Portfolio: https://adebunmi.carbonmade.com/

#The Ade Series #Adebunmi Gbadebo #Natural Hair #Art #Black Art #Black Artist #Black Hair #Am I Still Dreadful #SVA #School Of Visual Arts #NYC #New York City #Nigerian #African-American #Natural Movement #Hair

BLACK GOLD

Nigerian-American visual artist Adebunmi Gbadebo creates her work using donated, natural, afro hair as the primary medium.

“In this piece I collected hair from barbershop floors and garbage cans. The hair that I sweep from shop floors or dig out of garbage cans, is seen to its previous owners as discarded trash or scraps, which is ironic when looking at the value placed on Black hair before the Western world began to interact with Africa through slavery. Pre-Slavery, many African cultures believed that their spirit and power resided in their hair, so when their hair was cut the owner would keep their tresses in fear that someone could get hold of their spirit and strength. I aim to reclaim and reempower the disposed hair by sculpting the hair into this vast geometric form. The hair is glued and sewn onto various scraps of canvas and then sewn together to create one massive image of ‘Blackness.’”

Date 2015

Type human hair, thread, matte medium on canvas

Dimensions 60 x 52 inches

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ade_booms/

Portfolio: https://adebunmi.carbonmade.com/

#The Ade Series #Adebunmi Gbadebo #Natural Hair #Art #Black Art #Black Artist #Black Hair #Black Gold #SVA #School Of Visual Arts #NYC #New York City #Nigerian #african-american #natural movement #hair #sculpture

hijabihybrid

The pictures that usually won’t make it to tumblr. It is really hard to photograph kids lol they can’t sit still, or can’t do the same thing. My sisters (Left to right) Halima 4, Selma 2, and Alina 4.

amysall

Big thank you to Refinery 29 for including me in their story “5 Stories of Women Taking Risks –& Winning.” I’m humbled to be alongside some amazing women blazing their own paths. Read the story HERE