Polaroids by Nicolina Schonfarber
Digital Photographs by Andre Bradley
Digital Photographs by Grant Willing
Digital Photographs by John Keene
My sister and I weren’t allowed our first haircut until we were 13 years old. When I finally asked my father why he never let us cut our hair, his answer was simply, “because I like long hair.” We were never asked if we liked the long hair that hurt to brush and was always tangled and would give me headaches from wearing it in a ponytail because I hate having hair in my face.
July 2018 I decided to reclaim my own femininity and reject the standard that was/is imposed on my body. Inspired by Yoko Ono’s Cut Piece, I decided to share this experience and invite others to approach and cut pieces of my hair and ultimately shave my head. I also invited all to cut small pieces of their own hair and leave it as an offering should they feel inclined. The invitation was to be vulnerable together.
I asked participants to document the moment in any way they feel is important or necessary. An exercise in what it means to be present.
Summer 2018, ITI Workshop