There's Hair in my Bobbin!
Aarushi Agiwal
The labor around textile arts, weaving, braiding, stitching, materially and symbolically parallel the labor put into women’s hair. There's Hair in my Bobbin! explores fiber art as a structural and conceptual framework for discussing the emotional, cultural, and physical aspects of hair.
"Split Ends & Frayed Edges" is an exploration of tools, techniques, and writing surrounding the maintenance of hair & textiles. From rituals to artistic documentation, this publication examines how hair care and fiber arts lie at the intersection of intimacy, family and care.
Like many women’s crafts, hair care is taught through demonstration and storytelling. This parallels intergenerational learning often associated with women’s crafts, such as quilting circles and needlepoint. Between daughters and their mothers, this practice becomes a site of shared memory. Hair oiling is a ritual passed down among Indian women for generations. "What Should I Use on My Hair?" is a set of three objects that showcase how this ritual has been passed along through my family for three generations: hair oiling recipes from my grandmother’s childhood, my mother’s, and mine are embroidered onto satin ribbons with black hair.
Finally, "My Hair is Full of Secrets & I Will Never Cut It" is a publication featuring a vignette about the intimate relationship I have with my hair paired with a metal comb and engraved with its title.
Hair, like fiber, holds shape, memory, and the mark of every hand that combs through it. The labor is never complete. Hair grows out and the care is ongoing.