Ashante Kindle

Lives and works in Brooklyn, NY, USA

Artist statement

Abstraction is the substance of the things I hope for and the evidence of things I can't see. I utilize the textures, curl patterns, and styling of Black hair in abstract paintings and video work to envision new realities of personal existence that defy standards of conformity. By magnifying the hair strand on canvas, accentuated by stylish adornments, the cellular properties of the hair follicle begin to symbolize the infinite space of the cosmos. My practice has become a physical manifestation of the peace I find in the cosmos and what lies beyond while on a personal healing journey back to self. My work is biographical. It answers a personal call to unearth myself. I am thinking about the lost fragments of myself moving through atmospheres and portals on a journey back to me. This journey begins with hair as the first place I experienced autonomy and freedom. I now conjure these feelings and approach my process with the intention of spiritual exchange. Through the use of staining techniques and hair materials and tools like dye and dye brushes, hair bows and barrettes, I am now imagining the act of infusing healing into DNA through hair as the starting place.

Artwork