Hair is a symbol of femininity, in my family women with long black hair hold power and beauty. With power also comes pain since hair is a vector in which memory is contained. The act of cutting one’s hair is a symbol of liberation, yet the women that surround them never cut it, and actively keep their griefs and pains from getting released.

The title Castigo is the act of not letting go of pain, and creating a generational acceptance of internalized abuse. The process that I used to create Castigo consisted of crocheting strands of synthetic hair, a practice that my great-grandmother taught me.

Additionally, the hair is bonded solely using hair products such as hair spray and hair gel in order to create a matrix that connects yet is actively trying to break apart.