n Nigerian cultures, tribes would (and still do) fashion their hair for more than just the particular design. The intricate braids and thread designs worn signify their social standing. From rank, religion, to marital status, a specific hairstyle would tell you a lot about a woman’s identity. These detailed looks could take hours and sometimes days to create, so the process was also used as a time for bonding within the community. The person braiding the hair would do so as both a social service as well as a ritual, with no expectation of reward.

It is important to note the last line above. How hairstyles are supposed to be a time for community bonding. The three women in this digital painting are wrapped around or what some may argue still tangled in between the gold (oyibo hair). Though they are created with hairstyles that emphasizes the features of the black women, it seems most challenging to be rid of the Gold. why is that?