American artist Elizabeth Ann Miller uses hair as the material in her textile art. Focusing on the politics that ‘surrounds hair and the black body,’ her work is in for the form of installations, sculptures and most recently a film containing her custom made headdresses about cleansing spaces where enslaved Africans lived or passed through. 

Where are you from and where are you based now? 

I’m from Grand Rapids, Michigan, and I am currently based in Baltimore, Maryland.

What is your background in textiles?

My background in textiles is grounded in my childhood. My sister and I took to hair at a young age. She became a dog groomer, and I became a hair sculptor. We braided our Barbies’ hair, and she braided my hair into intricate braid patterns on our front stoop. We were raised in an urban setting and observed cultural braided hair displays everyday in our schools.

I have a Bachelors in Art and Design from Towson University and a Master of Fine Arts from Maryland Institute College of Art. 

How do you describe your work? 

My art employs hair headdresses and objects to reference domestic space, but also to comment on the politics that surround hair and the black body. I celebrate the limitless potential of hair, most often as it relates to African-American culture.  My work questions hair and body politics, while addressing such issues as appropriation, classism, gender, ethnicity, anti-blackness, equity, identity, and the commodification of the black body. 

Most recently, my work has contributed to the ritual spiritual cleansing of spaces where enslaved Africans resided or passed through in great numbers. I invite community leaders and artists to wear various headdresses in these ceremonies. Then, through coloured smoke and improvised choreography, they symbolically cleanse spaces across the city of their sordid history while simultaneously connecting with the ancestral strength embedded therein.

Why do you use hair as your medium?

The best thing about sculpture is that it is visceral. Hair is no different. When connected to the body, hair is political but it’s also an adornment, a pleasure, and an act of love toward oneself.  In many ways, it is political. In the African-American and other cultures, hair is deeply spiritual and must be disposed of correctly to protect one’ s energy. So while it might seem an absurd medium, hair is precisely the correct material for tapping into the spiritual energy of both the past and present while also looking through an Afro-futurist lens.

My headdresses also easily translate in material, to the body. They are soft and flexible, mouldable, yet strong enough to support large shapes. When a performer moves while wearing a headdress, it responds in kind, reacting to the movement with an apparent movement of its own.  It’s impossible for a performer to wear the headdress and perform without making the headdress appear to be an integral part of the act.

How do you work? 

I sketch constantly. I save images. I look for shapes and lines that feel right and compel me to explore new shapes in the headdress series. I have posted sketches concerning some of my upcoming headdresses on my website.

Is there anything you would like to add?

My most recent film about cleansing spaces in Baltimore can be found at the UBUNTU tab on my website. It’s free for anyone to see. 

I try to keep the website up-to-date with recent interviews as well as the latest gallery and museum openings for those who are interested in experiencing the objects and performances in person. Please see the ‘Upcoming projects’ tab.

www.lizannmiller.com 

 liz_miller_productions

Liz Miller productions