Exploring Shadows, Unveiling Stories: The Art of Donna Lowson
Whispers invites viewers to engage with the unseen and overlooked. Through the intimate and unsettling medium of human hair, Donna Lowson explores the forces shaping our lives.
Drawing from her experiences as a working-class, late-diagnosed dyslexic, Lowson critically examines the tension between what society cherishes and discards. Her intricate sculptures, installations, and garments made from hair address issues of unpaid labour, gendered expectations, and the control of women's bodies. By transforming hair waste into delicate art, she questions who assigns value, when it is granted, and when it is lost.
Lowson connects historical struggles with contemporary ones, amplifying the untold stories of women's labor. Each piece invites viewers to reflect on their own role within these systems, fostering empathy for the often-overlooked narratives beneath the surface.
Artist Statement
Exploring shadows, unveiling essence, and connecting souls through the art of hair.
I create intricate forms using human hair, primarily sourced from salon waste. Whether free-standing or wall-hung, these pieces invite close inspection of their organic textures and delicate construction. Hair, an intimate and unsettling material with its fine strands and varied hues, becomes the focus of my exploration.
At the heart of my work, I explore shadows and the untold stories that linger beneath the surface. Each piece transforms discarded hair into something tactile and complex. Fibers are woven, spun, braided, or shaped into forms that evoke beauty and decay. What is revered as beautiful when attached to the body can quickly become repulsive when found in a plughole. This shift in perception fascinates me.
I hold back from using my family’s hair, revealing the deeply personal connection between hair, love, loss, and memory. This tension between what we cherish and discard becomes a central theme in my work. By transforming disgarded hair into art, I challenge viewers to question where we place value. What makes something precious, and when does it lose its worth? The discarded become significant, turning our ideas of identity, memory, and materiality on their heads.
My practice also revives Victorian hair art, a forgotten craft that once gave voice to women’s experiences. By bringing this lost tradition into contemporary conversation, I highlight hidden histories and offer a new lens to examine the past and the present. I aim to create connection in an increasingly divided world through my art. The stories we disregard, and the materials we discard become central to how I engage with the world. My work raises questions about the unseen forces shaping our lives, urging viewers to look deeper and connect with the untold. Hair transcends the individual, connecting us to collective experiences. Each piece invites viewers to reflect on the stories we often overlook and question what they see.
A collaboration with Open Up Sheffield