Adorned: Hairstyles of an Ancient Dynasty

In 2006 I became fascinated by a group of ceramic tomb sculptures of the Tang Dynasty I saw at The Musee Guimet in Paris; the hairstyles on these small figures were dynamic, complex, plastic, alive. I made quick sketches of them and then translated them into larger black and white paintings on paper. The paintings were forgotten for years until they were returned to me from Italy where they had languished; they became the impetus for this series of suspended plexiglass sculptures. Hair is a powerful signifier, and is itself a subject that has been a source of inquiry in earlier work (For Beauty’s Sake).

“By elevating something as seemingly innocuous as a hairstyle from the distant past, Zucker transcends culture and history with her work. These elegant and abstract shapes hovering ‘at cocktail party height’ urge us to consider essence of hair; and what meaning hair conveys about each of us in society.”

Heather Ferrell, Curator and Director of Exhibitions, Burlington City Arts