Hair has been woven, sculpted, stitched and shaped into objects of deep personal and cultural significance.
Human hair has a long and complex history, carrying diverse cultural and social meanings. Across time and geography, hair has symbolized power, spirituality, identity, and social status.
This archive is a collection of historical uses of hair as material, as well as a growing index of contemporary artists and designers who incorporate hair into their work.
There is a growing movement around hair as material. While not new, it is undergoing a renaissance — recognized not only for its symbolic and tactile potential but also for its regenerative, sustainable nature.
Showing 221 of 221 entries
Marquesan Hair Ornament from the Cook Voyages
Alice Maher: Keep
Studio Swine: Hair Highway
Althea Murphy-Price: Portraits
Lorna Simpson: Wigs
Angela Hennessy: And Counting (Griefwork)
Bernardo Strozzi: Berenice Cuts a Lock of Her Hair
Dshamilja Tükerek
The Significance of Braids in Quechua Culture
Kimberley Boudville
The Tradition of Baby Hair Brushes in China
Embracing Hair Love: A Father’s Journey
Tlingit Human Hair Basket
Women’s Defiance Amid Iran Protests
Swedish mittens
Estelle Guillaume & Louise Clerc
Wartime Ingenuity: The Human Hair Sweater
Go Fujiwara
The Unconventional Use of Human Hair in Food Production
Vilma Leino
Mourning in Madagascar: A Widow’s Sacrifice
Sarah Nõmm
The Afro: A Symbol of Resistance and Pride
Kate Mack
The Hidden Meaning Behind Cornrows
Nneka Kai Scruggs
The Tradition of Courtroom Wigs
Kelsey Lenoch
The Sacred Locks of Lisieux
Sera Ghadaki
The Khipus: Ancient Recording Devices of the Andes
Anshika Gauri Agrawal
Lilli Malou Weinhold
Hair and Identity During the Slave Trade
Geny Iorio
Willie Birch: The Barbershop
Katharina Spitz
How Women and Men Approach Hairstyles Differently
Esther Khuabi
Marken’s Timeless Hairstyle Tradition
Zu Kalinowska
The Chonmage: A Symbol of Honor and Tradition in Japan
Miranda Vazquez Rodriguez
The Art of Sentimental Jewelry
McQueen’s Intimate Touch: Hair as a Hidden Signature
The Beauty and Symbolism of Ancient Chinese Hair Ornaments
Friederike Filler
Kurdish Hairstyles and Cultural Identity
Rahel Ruppen
The Significance of Hair in Ancient Greece
Jennifer Blackburn
American Mourning Brooch Woven from Human Hair
Jessica García Corral
A Unique Gift of Love: The Hair Sweater and Hat
California’s Landmark Law Against Hair Discrimination
The Shifting Trade of Human Hair
Yixin Li
The Polynesian Coming-of-Age Haircut
The Rise of The Wig: Fashion, Status, and Tradition
Vivienne Westwood’s Scottie Boots
Elvis Presley’s Hair Sells at Auction
Mariia Lysenko
The Timeless Braids of the Mbalantu Women
Donna Lowson
Achilles’ Sacred Waves
Kiara Sombito
Queen Charlotte and Mary Delany’s Creative Bond
Céline Arnould
The Tradition of Cutting the Baby’s First Hair in Romania
Yixue Yang
Beauty Trends in the Middle Ages: The High Forehead Look
Oil Spill Cleanups: A Temporary Remedy
Clémentine Delait: The Bearded Lady of France
Isabella Mebarak
The Symbolism of Royal Hair in the Merovingian Dynasty
Satur Chong
A Widow’s Tribute: The Embroidered Sheet of James Radclyffe
Sophie van den Berg
Haircraft of the Ancestral Puebloans
Rosemary Meza-DesPlas
The Evolutionary Mystery of Human Head Hair
Fleur Ouwerkerk
Recycling Hair: A Livelihood in Nairobi’s Dumps
Minghao Wu
Chancay Funerary Mask Crowned with Human Hair
Nicole America Cruz
The Zulu Bride’s Headdress
Sara Reyes
The Power of The Sun: How it Impacts Hair Growth
Victorian Mourning Jewelry: The Art and Sentiment
The Little Princess Trust: Restoring Confidence with Real Hair Wigs
The Church’s Historic Condemnation of Wigs
Omar Antonio
The Mohawk: From Warrior Tradition to Symbol of Rebellion
Jessica Sandoval
The Hopi Squash Blossom Hairstyle: A Symbol of Tradition
Camila Barvo
The Mundan Ceremony: A Sacred Hindu Rite of Purification
Anna Banout
Dennis Rodman’s Iconic Hair and Its Cultural Impact
Attiya Usman
The Symbolic Braids of Bulgarian Women
Kristina Beaty
Aboriginal Australian Pituri Bag Woven with Human Hair
Argelia Matus
The History and Potential of Hair Sutures in Medicine
Militsa Milenkova
The Rise and Fall of The Hairnet Trade
Geny Iorio
Hair Dyeing in Ancient Rome
Pilar Palazzo
Child's Talisman Tunic from Turkmenistan
Ivi Pivetta Viero
Pukara Neck Emblem Woven with Human Hair
Pamela Christine Kleemann-Passi
Never Cut Hair: The Sikh Tradition of Kesh
Oku Ceremonial Tunic: A Symbol of Heritage and Liberation
Mahsa Omranian Esfahani
The Mandated Queue: A Symbol of Submission and Rebellion