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Presently there is no federal law on the books prohibiting discrimination based on the style or texture of someone’s hair. In March 2021, Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ) tried to fill that void by introducing the CROWN Act — “Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair” — in the House of Representatives.
The House passed the bill, but the Senate never voted on it because of a filibuster from Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY). On May 2, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley, along with six other representatives, reintroduced the bill.
“Sitting Pretty” (2023) Digital Illustration by Maya Alia
Currently, only half the states in America have laws that forbid discrimination based on hair. Massachusetts is one of them. A new exhibition by Maya Alia at the Crossings Gallery in Allston, titled “Curls & Coils,” celebrates natural hair in all its beautiful and versatile glory, with 13 vibrant digital illustrations, jewelry and mixed media works. Portrait titles like “Goddess” and “Ethereal Crown” reinforce the uplifting and empowering representation of natural hair just as Alia intended.
The Crossings Gallery is located in the front lobby of the Harvard Ed Portal at 224 Western Ave., and the exhibition design compels visitors to engage with the illustrations made in Procreate (a digital illustration software) and Alia’s jewelry from her line, AIRI. Some of Alia’s jewelry designs appear in the portraits, too.
In Alia’s solo debut, the exhibition is bold and lively with saturated wall-colors of yellow, orange, peach and teal. The color palette is reminiscent of joyful Caribbean landscapes with luscious fruit trees, crystal-like ocean water and abundant sunshine. The exhibition colors are a subconscious nod to Alia’s Barbadian and Bermudian heritage.
Equally bold are her illustrations, featuring colorful backgrounds and barrettes and botanicals in the subjects’ hair. Hairstyles include twists, braids, Bantu knots, afros, slick ponytails and headwraps.
The portraits were all created in 2023, with each one taking approximately one month to complete. Alia says she was mindful of the details, like getting the hair texture just right and aligning a flower’s meanings to a particular portrait. In “Unapologetic,” the subject embraces her coils while adorning her hair with a black-eyed Susan, a flower that symbolizes justice — justice that’s only applicable in half the country.
“Rows n Rows,” Digital Illustration by Maya Alia
In a phone conversation, Alia says, “I definitely think this is a collection that can be appreciated by BIPOC women and men.” She continues, “I think that it’s incredibly important to show an empowering message so friends and family can feel empowered while being represented.”
Eve Alpern, an assistant director at the Ed Portal, selected Alia’s work from an artist open call. In a separate phone conversation, Alpern says Alia’s work as a jewelry entrepreneur and artist appealed to her, given the Ed Portal’s mission of workforce development.
Alpern says, “I think sometimes artists feel like they need to hone in one particular genre, but in reality, they dabble in a lot of different modalities.” She continues, “She has other skills, so for us having all of them showcased in the exhibit makes for a richer experience for the viewer and showcases all the sides of what Maya brings.”
Alpern says she was also interested in an exhibition on natural hair texture and learning from the discussions that would follow.
Alia says, “I also feel like this collection is for everyone, mostly because everyone has a part of themselves that society has labeled subpar or weird or not enough. This collection is all about challenging standardized beauty norms.”
“Curls & Coils” is on view at Harvard Ed Portal through Oct. 24.
