A new art exhibition in Dublin tells the untold story of hairstylists’ creative contribution to visual culture from the Renaissance to the present day, through drawing, sculpture and sound installation.
Presented by Dublin City Council and curated by Margarita Cappock, Peer by Amanda Jane Graham is showing at The LAB Gallery until 15 August.
Curated by Margarita Cappock, and officially opened by Dylan Bradshaw, the exhibition draws together visual art, sociology and Graham’s 24-year career as a hairstylist. It explores the overlooked relationship between hairdressing and art history; through detailed research and artistic enquiry, Graham investigates the ways in which hairstylists have contributed to visual culture, while often being denied recognition for their creative and artistic expertise.
The works invite audiences to reconsider historical portraiture and visual culture through the perspective of the hairstylist. Referencing salon tools, techniques and methodologies, Graham highlights the materiality, texture and sculptural qualities of hair, while drawing attention to the significant role hairstylists have played in creating the images and identities represented in art.
“I am deeply grateful to The LAB Gallery’s curator Dr Margarita Cappock for her support of Peer and its message,” said Graham.
“Peer is a response to the occupational discrimination I experienced while working as a hairstylist, and through a sociological investigation I uncover hairdressing’s rich and fascinating history, tracing its artistic and cultural significance back to Egypt in 3400 BCE. With Peer, I seek to reevaluate art history, question how it is viewed and who is appreciated, and celebrate the historical collaborations that have shaped visual culture.”
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