The University of La Verne is pleased to present The Hair Craft Project, a solo exhibition by Sonya Clark. Drawing inspiration from the skill and creativity of Black hair care specialists, Clark’s work explores the nuances and connectivity of beauty, identity and politics. Blurring the lines between art studio and hair salon, Clark has collaborated with hairdressers Kamala Bhagat, Dionne James Eggleston, Marsha Johnson, Chaunda King, Anita Hill Moses, Nasirah Muhammad, Jameika and Jasmine Pollard, Ingrid Riley, Ife Robinson, Natasha Superville, and Jamilah Williams. Masters of their craft, these hairdressers have composed complex hairstyles with Clark’s full head of hair. The show features eleven photographs documenting this ambitious and intimate exchange.
Each print presents a fusion of Clark with a distinct hairstyle, the hairdresser, and a monochromatic background. The elaborately crafted hair is prominently featured in the foreground as Clark faces away from the viewer and toward the hairdresser, who looks over her shoulder at the camera. The juxtaposition is a conversation between the two artists, as well as a portrait of the hairdresser displaying her creation. The chromatic atmosphere alternately accentuates the personal interaction with a striking hue, or illuminates the hair art with a tonal glow. Viewers see Clark through her engagement with fellow artists, and the scenario suggests that individuals shine brightest when adorned with the care and talent of others.
Sonya Clark is chair of the Craft and Material Studies Department at Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Richmond, VA. She holds an MFA from Cranbrook Academy of Art, a BFA from the Art Institute of Chicago, and a BA and honorary doctorate from Amherst College. She is the recipient of several awards including an Art Prize Grand Jurors co-prize in 2014, a Pollock-Krasner Grant, a Smithsonian Artist Research Fellowship, a Rockefeller Foundation Bellagio Fellowship in Italy, a Red Gate Residency in China, a Civitella Ranieri Residency in Italy, an Australian National University Residency, a 2011 United States Artist Fellowship, and an Art Matters Grant. Her work is in the collections of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, National Museum of Women in the Arts, Indianapolis Museum of Art, Virginia Museum of Fine Art, Musees d’Angers in France among several other institutions. Her work has been favorably reviewed in several publications including the New York Times, Philadelphia Inquirer, Italian Vogue, Los Angeles Times, Hyperallergic, and Huffington Post.