Laetitia Ky, an artist from the Ivory Coast, has captivated audiences worldwide with her unique and unconventional art medium—her own hair. By blending her natural locs with hair extensions, Ky sculpts intricate and expressive works of art, drawing inspiration from a variety of sources, including animals, musical instruments, and even the female reproductive system. Her remarkable creations have earned her a global following, with over 521,000 Instagram fans celebrating her bold artistic vision.
Despite her current success, Ky’s journey to embracing her natural hair has been a complex one. Like many women of African descent, she spent years experimenting with various hairstyles, from relaxers to weaves, in search of a look that made her feel confident and beautiful. However, her perspective shifted when she discovered the African American natural hair movement in the United States. This community’s celebration of natural beauty encouraged her to embrace her own.
“Appreciating my hair let me appreciate other things that made me Black,” Ky explained in an interview with The Guardian. “Like my skin. I’m very dark-skinned, and the idea of a beautiful Ivorian woman is often associated with being light-skinned. When I started to love my hair, I started to love my skin, and I started to love the fact that I was Black. And when I started to love the fact that I was Black, it helped me love the fact that I was a woman. Loving one thing led me to love another.”
Ky’s art is not only a celebration of creativity but also a testament to self-acceptance and empowerment. Through her hair sculptures, she has sparked important conversations about identity, beauty standards, and cultural pride.
