Mama's Hands is a 24"x 36" ode to the Black mother's role in crafting the concepts of beauty and ritual in the Black community. One of the most prevalent rituals for Black women is hair care. It is a pilgrimage requiring time, effort, skill, and support.There is so much power and generational knowledge in a Black girl having her hair cared for by a mother. With no blueprint, the mother instinctively knows what to do. To an even greater extreme, the mothers who do know what to do, all complete their duties in a similar fashion devoid of any prior communication with one another. This scene of a young girl having her hair stretched and brushed while sitting between her mother's leg is a scene most Black women can recall immediately. It represents the community that fuels the practice and the collective understanding and belonging of it.
