Is there a such thing as belonging?
When society has made it
Impossible
For decades
Told us to hide our true nature
Disregarded our willfulness
Encouraged change
Within
When they don’t know the
Cost
The pain of concealing perfection
The loss of
Identity
But slowly
We have adapted
We have learned to disregard
The media
And allow
Our willfulness to shine
There is no controlling it
It is
Magnificent
It demands to be reconciled
For it shows our true nature
Shouting to be seen
To breathe
To zig-zag its
True coil
Magnificently Willful is seeking to honor the authentic existence amongst African Americans by celebrating the joys of my true self through my natural hair. The figure is placed in the center while being suspended upside down. By rotating the orientation of the figure, I depict joy and the celebration by allowing hair created from yarn to take its true shape. This orientation breathes life to my natural hair, it demands to be seen. The abundance of “hair” draping on, around, and on the floor of my piece creates a platform to celebrate our authentic hair. This quilted work is about the triumph of fighting to be seen, while also appreciating and educating others on the different curl patterns that African Americans have. It serves to both help me reclaim my joy in my natural hair and to educate my viewer on the distinct hair textures that black people have.