Strong Hair by Yatreda - The Power of African Hair

Author:
Yatreda
Publisher:
Yatreda
Publication Date:
4 April 2022
Tags:
Ethiopia, Arts, Culture and Entertainment

Our next NFT drop is the biggest collection we have ever released. We built a 360 camera rig with our own hands and took it across our country to capture the diversity and power of African hair. We created motion portraits of 100 different hairstyles from all across Ethiopia. The afros, the shaved patterns, and the unique braids. Many of these local hairstyles are disappearing. To find all this, we had to travel to the deep countryside. We had to search the most remote regions of Ethiopia. This is a lot deeper than just hair. In Ethiopia, hairstyles represent so much more. Sometimes just by looking at someone, you can identify their nation or tribe. Hair can be a social signal. In some cultures, certain styles are for unmarried women. Others are only for mothers. Hair can be a status symbol. Special clay molded by hand is the sign of a respected man. There is also a lot of originality, culture doesn't mean being stuck in the past. Our ancestor's techniques can be advanced with creativity that can express something totally new. Sometimes our natural African hair is not respected, and we spend too much time and money making it look like something we are not. Many people have embraced modern city styles, or they are influenced from the outside world. When we lose a hairstyle, we lose an expression that may never be repeated again. What we are really losing is a visual language. Imagine ... Thousands of years of culture has created these looks. I want everyone to be proud of their strong African hair. My goal is not only to preserve what remains. It's to help bring these styles back. Not just for Ethiopia, not just for Africa, but for the world. With NFTs, it seems like we are using something new to preserve something old. But what we are actually doing with crypto is finding our original selves again. We are rediscovering our identity. This is STRONG HAIR.

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