Bintou is braiding her friend’s hair. Braiding is a major part of women and girls’ culture in Africa. Women gather regularly to do each other’s hair, and it is a time of laughter, gossip, and connection. Professional hair designers know how to make a fashion statement, but braiding is also an important part of ethnic identity. Fulani women tend to have one long braid with beads woven into it hanging  down over the forehead. In Burkina Faso, cornrows are often braided differently in the villages from how they’re plaited in the cities.

Technique:  colored pencil drawing digitally printed on cotton, machine quilted              

Materials:    100% cotton cloth, polyester threads, wool/polyester batting

Size:             40” (H) X 33” (W)

The background is inspired by the African fabric in the band above.