Hair Stories

Hair Stories by Elseve L’Oréal Paris was presented at Art Safari Museum in Bucharest, Romania, from 6 September to 15 December 2024.

The cultural history of hair is a fascinating way of investigating the connections between human biology, status and social norms, the standards of beauty.

The cultural history of hair is a fascinating way of investigating the connections between human biology, status and social norms, the standards of beauty. Throughout different civilizations and eras, the role of hair has undergone spectacular transformations, surpassing its physiological function to become a framework through which different communities have expressed their cultural, religious and social affiliations. The way hair is exposed or concealed, tidied, arranged or represented in art continues to be relevant to this day, contributing to the definition of group or individual identity. For instance, since ancient times women’s hairstyles have mirrored age, affiliation, religious beliefs, marital status, occupation, economic and social status. In other words, the way hair is presented is not just aesthetic in nature and is not only about how the body can be beautified.

On the other hand, from an anthropological point of view, the very preoccupation with the appearance of the hair is an inherent aspect of human nature. In this case, art history is relevant, for since prehistoric times there have been different types of combs and hairpins, and in the ancient period, sculptures in particular bear witness to the different hairstyles preferred in those times. Even then, exposing one’s hair or covering it could express affiliation to a particular social class or compliance with religious rules (for example, married women of the Roman elite are often depicted with their heads covered). Although the process of taking care of one’s hair is generally an aspect specific to other mammals as well, only humans have historically developed ways of intentionally altering their appearance of their hair.

Throughout history, the hairstyles of men and women have often been different, with more and more variations manifesting with the modern era. Over time, certain styles developed and were defined as “feminine” or “masculine”, with the way hair was arranged becoming a distinguishing feature between the sexes (in many cultures, long hair was a mark of femininity).

But this changed dramatically in the 20th century, particularly in Western cultures. In the 1920s, millions of women adopted the bob cut, blurring the lines between male and female hairstyles. At the same time, also in the 20th century, dramatic transformations inevitably occurred in representations of Western art too. A review of some of the most important models for the depiction of hair in art should include the chaste prototype of Virgin Mary (always with her hair covered), the ideals of female beauty of the Renaissance period (the influence of ancient art and spirituality, with Venus as the most prominent model, with her long, flowing hair), the pre-Raphaelite fascination with long, blond and reddish hair, the strong symbolic meaning of the hair in Gustav Klimt’s paintings and the bold or extravagant hairstyles of women in Toulouse-Lautrec’s works. The artistic discourse of the 20th century brought new perspectives on the hair theme, questioning in particular concepts such as identity and overcoming preconceptions (the specificity of femininity, the standardisation of certain social typologies or the fetishization of the body). Perhaps the most representative work in this respect is Relation in Time (1977), by Marina Abramović and Ulay.

Starting from this fascinating history of hair, the Hair Stories exhibition presents the works of 20 contemporary Romanian women artists, in which hair is the main subject. Images of femininity are captured through a variety of techniques and approaches that move from the oneiric to the symbolic, from works inspired by the TikTok imaginary to the questioning of any feminine prototype (in particular the “fairy” look, with long curly hair). In fact, the Hair Stories by Elseve L’Oréal Paris exhibition shows us that the way we wear our hair reflects who we are, both socially and individually.