Afro-Dite: HairLoom is a contemplation of black beauty and the celebration of its otherness. Sourced from her childhood experience of wearing large braids to school and being different from her mostly Caucasian schoolmates, the artist invites her mother (and others) to rebraid her hair, this time weaving in textures and textiles of autobiographical, cultural, and ethnic significance. These mixed media plaits will also include contributions from the artist’s community of black femmes and be formed into braid quilts that hold their rich narratives, both painful and exultant. The piece will culminate in a dance in defiance of mainstream beauty standards, set to a soundscape of the stories collected, all in moving tribute to lineage and community.