Paola Elizabeth Mateo I pull, detangle, twist, fluff, set and sew different textures and different colors of hair, combing them into one piece as I pierce them with nails, penetrating each strand with the expectation of society. I hang them on walls, force them into corners, wear them and make them stand alone. This series of work displays the various methods in which I use both artificial and real hair to address the structural and systemic racism that originate within a post colonial society and made its way into the home and minds of afro latinx. The work speaks to various emotions in experiencing auto-phobia (hatred of oneself), racism within the latinx community, confusion of origin and the stereotypical stigmas that follow the choice of not conforming to eurocentric standards. In my performance ‘Para ti pt.2’, I constructed a dress of real hair that I wore in the Dominican Republic, Reading, Pennsylvania and New York. The purpose for constructing this dress was to ridicule the idea of forcing my hair into a eurocentric state that it is not naturally in.
Paola Elizabeth Mateo Image Context 1.Am I White Enough Now? 2017 Human hair, Acrylic hair, Kanekalon hair and Acrylic paint 14inx18inx77in Hanging sculpture is a remnant from a performance where I poured white acrylic paint over the entire surface until the jug was empty. 2.Untitled 2017 Copper, Hair, Nylon, Feather 8inx9inx15in 3.Titled Labels 2017 Hair, Plastic, Glass, Bamboo fiber 24inx6inx31in 4.Para ti pt.2 2016-2017 Hair, Cotton, Nylon 19inx15inx33in (size XLarge) After constructing the hair dress, I then let my natural hair loose as I walked around and invited people to touch my hair. Observing people’s hesitation to touch either the hair on my body or the hair on my head. 5. I Am this Mix 2017 Kanekalon hair, Wood, Brass, Spandex/cotton 5ftx5inx7ft
Paola Elizabeth Mateo
1.Am I White Enough Now? 2017 Human hair, Acrylic hair, Kanekalon hair and Acrylic paint 14inx18inx77in Hanging sculpture is a remnant from a performance where I poured white acrylic paint over the entire surface until the jug was empty.
Paola Elizabeth Mateo
2.Untitled 2017 Copper, Hair, Nylon, Feather 8inx9inx15in
Paola Elizabeth Mateo
Paola Elizabeth Mateo
4.Para ti pt.2 2016-2017 Hair, Cotton, Nylon 19inx15inx33in (size XLarge) After constructing the hair dress, I then let my natural hair loose as I walked around and invited people to touch my hair. Observing people’s hesitation to touch either the hair on my body or the hair on my head.
Paola Elizabeth Mateo
5. I Am this Mix 2017 Kanekalon hair, Wood, Brass, Spandex/cotton 5ftx5inx7ft