Pieces of My...

The series Pieces of My are an exploration of self awareness/identity, culture within the African American and Afro-Latino community and hair. Images are formed with hair which narrate a story of my experiences. Each photograph defines what I knew to be true during my adolescence. Thinner hair is prettier, straight hair is easier to manage than curly hair and without it I am no one. Some of words that compliment the photographs are thoughts that I have always had growing up. Some of the words were told to me. All of them helped shape how I thought of my own hair. My hair has been a major factor in how I decided what culture I wanted to take part in. It also became a way for me to deny being a part any culture. Having a "finer" grade of hair defined what I thought it meant to be Latina. This series defines issues within the African American and Afro Latino community by way of hair.