In a world where hair is often styled, straightened, or sculpted to fit trends, Laetitiaky has chosen a radically different path: she turns hers into art.

The Ivorian creative transforms her natural hair into sketch-style sculptures, bending and shaping strands into portraits, symbols, and striking silhouettes that feel like illustrations lifted straight from a notebook page.

Minimal yet magnetic, Laetitiaky’s work blurs the line between beauty and fine art. Using wire, thread, and careful manipulation, she molds her hair into graphic shapes, faces in profile, hands forming gestures, abstract emblems that speak to womanhood, culture, and identity. Each look is meticulously constructed, then photographed against simple backdrops that allow the intricate designs to command full attention.

What makes her creations so powerful is not just the technique, but the intention. Hair, particularly Black hair, carries deep cultural and political meaning. For generations, it has been scrutinized, regulated, and misunderstood. Laetitiaky reclaims it as a tool of authorship. Her strands become pencil strokes. Her head becomes canvas. The message is clear: identity is art, and art can grow from you.

There’s also a refreshing simplicity to her aesthetic. Unlike elaborate avant-garde hair shows that rely on excess, Laetitiaky’s pieces are clean and deliberate. A single continuous line formed from coiled hair can evoke an entire emotion. A carefully curved section can suggest movement, dialogue, or defiance. In her hands, restraint becomes impact.

Beyond the visual spectacle, her work sparks conversation about creativity without limits. By using what she already possesses, her own hair, she challenges traditional ideas of materials and medium. Paint and clay are optional. Expression is not. The result is art that feels intimate, embodied, and deeply personal.

Social media has amplified her reach, allowing audiences worldwide to witness the transformation process and final images. Yet even through a screen, the artistry resonates. Viewers aren’t just seeing hairstyles; they’re experiencing storytelling shaped strand by strand.

Laetitiaky’s living sketchbook masterpieces remind us that innovation often begins with reimagining the familiar. In her world, hair is more than texture or trend, it is language, lineage, and limitless possibility woven together.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by African Folder (@african.folder)

© 2025 Hair Portal By Shine My Crown, All Rights Reserved.

Part of the Shine My Crown Network