Hair Weaving @ the Joan Mitchell Center Artist in Residency

New Orleans, 2018

Human hair, Kanekalon braiding hair, dog hair, and cotton thread
24.5” x 11” approx.

April 9–May 4, 2018

While in residency at the Joan Mitchell Center in New Orleans, I created a collaborative tapestry weave made out of hair collected from three major sources: the staff of the Joan Mitchell Center and its current artists in residence, the community of New Orleans who visited my studio, and my own hair.

The public was asked to donate—if they wished to—a strand/s of hair that was be woven into a larger piece, uniting and merging the identities of the participants. I used a portable loom to create a long and narrow tapestry.

Having grown up in Guatemala I have a strong connection to textiles. Lately, I have been interested in combining traditional/ancient weaving techniques with non-traditional elements such as hair. For many years I have been working with hair as a medium, not only as a carrier of DNA and means to individual expression, but to make a statement about aging and beauty.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:

A Special Thank You to all the participants who visited and donated hair for my project.

Thanks to the Joan Mitchell Foundation—especially to Jenny Gill and Melissa Dean—for the lovely video they did of my time as a resident.

Thanks to all the staff at the Joan Mitchell Center for making my time truly especial and magical.

RELATED ARTWORKS:

Hair Weave #1 @ El Museo del Barrio’s Back in Five Minutes Residency

Hair Weave #2 @ El Museo del Barrio’s Back in Five Minutes Residency

Pin Loom Hair Weave Series

RELATED PRESS:

Yaniv, Etty. “Jessica Lagunas: With Every Fiber at Pelham Art Center.” ArtSpiel, April 7, 2021

Joan Mitchell Center Artist-in-Residence, “In the Studio: Jessica Lagunas”, Video, Joan Mitchell Foundation, April 2018

EXHIBITION DETAILS:

Meditations on Hair,
Hall of Fame Art Gallery (Online)
Bronx Community College, Bronx, NY
March 10-April 30, 2021
(extended through May 21, 2021)

Hair Weaving Series:
@ the Joan Mitchell Center Artist in Residency
Human hair, Kanekalon braiding hair, dog hair, and cotton thread
#3: 24.5" x 11" approx.
@ El Museo del Barrio’s Back in Five Minutes Residency
Human hair, silk thread, or yarn
#1: 22” x 11” approx.
#2: 47” x 7” approx.

Meditations on Hair: Hair Weavings Series
Video for Bronx Community College
5 minutes 12 seconds

Pin Loom Hair Weaves #1, #2, #4, #6, #5 and #7
Artist’s gray and dark hair, silk thread, and brass rods Dimensions variable

Serie “Por siempre joven” (“Forever Young” Series)
#33 to #48
Artist’s gray hair, black silk, and embroidery hoop

#47 Timelapse
Serie “Por siempre joven” (“Forever Young” Series)
#47 Front and Back
Artist’s gray hair, black silk, and tape

EXHIBITION DETAILS:

Identity Measures,
Contemporary Arts Center, New Orleans, LA
August 3–October 5, 2019
Curated by Dr. Jordan Amirkhani

Hair Weave #3 @ the Joan Mitchell Center Artist in Residency
Human hair, Kanekalon braiding hair, dog hair, and cotton thread
24.5” x 11” approx.

Hair Weave #1 @ El Museo del Barrio’s Back in Five Minutes Residency
Human hair, and silk thread
22” x 11” approx.

Hair Weave #2 @ El Museo del Barrio’s Back in Five Minutes Residency
Human hair, silk thread, and yarn
47” x 7” approx.