Lebohang Motaung Combines Her Skills to Create Portraits that Celebrate Black Women's Hair
Lebohang lang Motaung is a distinctive Artist, born in South Africa, her Art style promotes The Female African Hairstyle as she weaves complex and beautiful hairstyle on her canvas. Motaung, who has a history in hair styling, has turned her passion for hair into a unique and engaging art form. Hair, she believes, is one of the most versatile elements of the body since it allows people to express themselves through changing and styling it.
The spotlight shone brightly on Motaung after one of her hair art pieces went viral on social media. The young artist used hair to create her work, which she spread across three canvases connected by braids. In an Interview, Motaung tells her journey into becoming an hair artist.
She started plaiting around the age of 10, where she experimented with her family and friends hair. At the age of 13 it developed into plaiting for money. Also, her drawing started at a young age but realized she has a talent in drawing when she decided to study fine arts. Her fine art journey brought about her infusion of hair and art thus giving her signature.
It is worthy of note that Motaung draws inspiration from seeing women owning their image and being unique and creative. In one of her work titled "Formation" she demonstrates the relationship between the hairstylist and client, specifically between women through sisterhood. According to her, salons are safe spaces for women where they can be found laughing and forming bonds with others that later turn into lifelong friendships.
In her words "Women are most comfortable while having their hair done, and one can tell by the gossip and the confessions that flow during the process." In this specific art piece titled "Formation" Motaung highlights the importance of communication and the flow of ideas and thoughts that springs up from the act of hairstyling.
In acknowledgement of her skill, she won the Cartier Johannesburg Art Fair competition in 2017 and her future has never looked brighter. Motaung Art Pieces shows that indeed there is Art everywhere.