Hey guys,
I originally posted this on April 30, 2009… but since we’ve been talking about big chops/versatility/’it’s just hair’ I thought this would be an appropriate interview to re-post. Rachel is, by far, been the most diverse chick I’ve profiled on BGLH. She’s done everything from back length locks to a big chop to wigs.
A second set of her photos (originally posted on May 2) has also been re-posted.
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So I started profiling Rachel in the previous post. She’s a North Carolina based artist whose work is really powerful.
She’s worn her hair in a TON of different ways over the past 17 years — from backlength locs to a bald head. I asked her to share her photos and her philosophy.
RACHEL: I’ve been natural for about 17 years. I always thought perms were lame… I didn’t wanna look like that. L says~no offense to permies! but I had to relay Rachel’s thoughts!
There’s no philosophy behind me changing my hair..I guess it’s just a reflection of my attitude about life in general..Most women are afraid to look different, scared of what others will think if they go against the grain. I’d hate to live that like that..I think that’s pretty miserable.
L says~I asked Rachel for a timeline of her various styles…
Timeline???….That’s almost impossible…Most of the pictures you see were taken in the last few years, with the exception of the locs, that was in 2000, I had them for about 8 years.
Right now i’m wearing a Mohawk with the bangs flat ironed..I plan to shave it all off really soon..
What my hair means to me?…It’s all mine and I’m gonna do whatever the hell I wanna do to it, I dont need long hair, or straight hair to be beautiful, I don’t need it at all.
On art…
I’ve been an artist all my life, whether it’s painting, singing, sewing, decorating or cooking..everything is art to me.
I sell my art through my website Rachelstewart.net and also on http://www.redbubble.com/people/auset1. I have a studio in downtown Raleigh (North Carolina) called The antfarm studios that I have shows and sell from. I also do commissions and I’m currently part of an abstract art exhibition at the Capital Bank Plaza building…I also have a payment plan, with my paypal account clients can make payments on pieces and I ship it to them when it’s paid up..I think art shoud be accesible to everyone, most folks dont have thousands of dollars to pay for art just laying around..so I let them make payments they can afford..Why not make it easy for folks to enjoy art in thier hime, not just a museum or gallery.
Folks ask me to describe my aesthetic..I don’t even know what that means…It’s not that deep. I just like to paint, I keep painting till it looks good then I stop… L says~A bit more of Rachel’s art coming tomorrow. The heavens didn’t open up and I didn’t meditate with incense and poetry (which I hate) …I just like to paint….
more photos of Rachel’s hair and her art coming real soon!
