The Pursuit of Nappiness

Brooklyn added a whole new dimension to my nappy world. Although I was used to my own natural hair at this time in the journey, I was hardly exposed to natural hairstyles. In the Netherlands where I had been living for over ten years even locs were a rarity. So when I just happened to come across the BAM Dance Africa Festival Fair in 2004, I went ballistic!

For the first time I entered a world where natural hairstyles were a majority and the styles were just mind blowing. Never had I seen styles like these. It was like rediscovering African hair. This was visible evidence of what my hair could actually do! I was baffled by the beauty and the versatility of Natural Black Hair and all of a sudden “bad hair” had a new meaning; these styles were BAD!

To share this unforgettable experience with everyone who would ever have the slightest interest in Black Hair or culture, I captured as many of the wonderful styles as possible. And ever since that day, I carry my camera to all summer fairs to capture many more of our people naturally.

The result is this collection that I named The Pursuit of Nappiness. These slides will show you an uncommon world were natural African hair is “normal”.

I sincerely hope that Black women all over the world can see their reflection in these beautiful images and that exposure to this world will result in healthier hair and more natural styles.

To see all pictures click here: The pursuit of Nappiness