Inspired by the sweater curse I was thinking a lot about the ways in which we imbue energy into physical objects and actions that are representative of the relationships they are in conversation with. Braiding someone's hair is one of the most intimate ways of energy exchange.

 

At the birth of this project, my theory was that the quality of conversation during braiding combined with how long the braid lasts is a reflection of the strength of the relationship.

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In the second iteration of this series we focused on taking apart questions about how belonging is offered, withheld, engineered, or imagined and how we construct performances, especially in regards to gender and faith-based spaces of belonging.

 

Over time I observed that the conversations we had while I braided someone’s hair were oftentimes more tender, genuine, and we were more prone to sharing intimate details we would otherwise not have shared. Braiding creates a cocoon of closeness and confidentiality between the braider and braidee. This process has posed to at times be an interesting challenge, like what happens when someone does not have enough hair to braid? 

 

With endless gratitude for those who allowed me to braid their hair and probe their minds, and to my sisters for spellchecking me.

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Here is a link to the full PDF document: Braided Transcription. 

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Below you can read through one of the original four transcriptions from the first iteration and see the resulting braid.