A Manifesto of Hair

Opening Reception:
Saturday, March 23, 1 – 3 pm

Manhattan’s Chinatown, on the homeland of the displaced Lenape, is one of the world’s oldest and largest of its kind for the diasporic Chinese and Southeast Asian population. The densely populated neighbourhood houses over one hundred barbershops and hair salons, which serve locals and visitors, often operating over long hours on cutthroat prices. Outnumbered only by the food industry, the high concentration of barbershops reflect the importance of hair and appearance in the immigrant community.

A Manifesto of Hair by Ho Tam studies the cultural significance of and obsession with hair and haircutting by looking at these business establishments, their architecture, and the activities and individuals that occupy them. By the artist’s precise eye, the camera picks up the detailed complexity of the scenes and unfolds narratives of daily moments in the mega-metropolis. Highlighting the working class within the marginalized community, the photographs investigate how individuals negotiate their identity in a larger social context, adapting to new norms while reinventing their lives. On one hand, the salons function as a refuge of self-care and comfort, while, on the other, they evoke questions about conformity under homogenized beauty standards and societal expectations. The project is an exploration of the relationships among race, class, and commerce through a look at how hair is cared for.

In addition to the photographs, the exhibition will also include Tam’s two other works on the same subject: the video Hair Cuts and his artist book Haircut 100.