Meet the duo using hair and photography as a medium to consider Africa and the African diaspora

‘I am really proud of this project and how it is evolving and growing just like my kids,’ says creative director and concept hair artist Asia Clarke about ‘Strands & Structures’, a photo documentary exhibition that explores social and environmental issues in Accra, Ghana using hair and photography.

After premiering in the capital of the West African country in December 2023, and later travelling to Toronto, Canada in June 2024, the ‘educational project’ – as co-creator of the show, creative director and photographer Christian Saint calls it – will make its European debut at the Open Space Contemporary Art Museum in Amsterdam, Netherlands on 22 February 2025 as part of the ‘What’s the 411’ series curated by Esmeralda Tan.

Clarke and Saint worked with models who were photographed in various locations in Accra to represent six key themes: Air pollution (Tema Station), Water pollution (Accra Art Centre, Borla Beach), Transportation (Madina Zongo Junction), Energy (Tse Addo, La), Construction (Teshie Rasta Road) and Market Economy (Tudu Market.)

‘There are a lot of people doing really interesting things with Black hair, whether in the [United] States or in Europe or across Africa,’ says Clarke. ‘But I feel like there are not very many people who are taking it to the level where they are using it as a medium to have challenging conversations about the state of affairs in and across Africa and in the African diaspora.’

This edition of ‘Strands & Structures’ will include a discussion expanding on the scope of the exhibition's work in the context of Amsterdam, the city’s creative scene, and the African diaspora. The panel members will include Clarke, Saint, Tan, Ama Van Dantzig, founder of the Dr Monk Foundation, and multidisciplinary filmmaker Ebeneza Blanche.

The discussion will reflect on what the work in the exhibition ‘can mean to the African diaspora in Europe [regarding] these issues and challenges that are relatable but are also different’, explains Clarke.

While the exhibition is open to an audience beyond the African diaspora, it is important to focus on the community, adds Saint, so ‘we can be at the centre of creating our own solutions to the problems in our communities’.

He goes on, ‘Art is a vehicle for us to express another way of thinking about maybe an idea that some people are already thinking about.’

‘Strands & Structures’ organisers have collaborated with Amsterdam-based clothing brand The New Originals on limited-edition exhibition merchandise. What’s next for the duo? They plan to explore different mediums, including a book and maybe a film, build on the conversations in the show throughout the African diaspora, and continue travelling the world with the exhibition.

‘Throughout this project, I feel like a very creative person inside and out. I feel like I am always going to be birthing something,’ says Clarke.

‘Strands & Structures’ opens at the Open Space Contemporary Art Museum in Amsterdam, Holland, on 22 February 2025

oscam.nl

Going to Amsterdam? Read The Amsterdam to London Eurostar route has reopened – here’s where to stay, eat and drink in the Dutch capital