Nikiwe Dlova: Celebrating Culture Through the Art of Hair
Nikiwe Dlova is using the art of hair to tell visual stories.
Words by Sizwe Shabalala
From Soweto to Black is King, Nikiwe Dlova has been on quite the journey, changing the way people see hair. After years of dedication and hard work, Nikiwe has finally been able to create a hair experience like no other. Known as the Royal Hair Salon, her first solo exhibition was all about showcasing and celebrating culture through hair and creative expression.
“Royal Hair Salon is a celebration of identity, culture and craftsmanship through hair art. It is showcasing how versatile hair is from headpieces, hairstyling, hair extensions seen as textiles on weaved royal chairs, on royal hair African masks and weaved hair art portraits.”
Image Credit: twitter.com/Nix_indamix
Not too long ago, Nikiwe’s work was featured on Instagram’s official page, where new people were introduced to what she is all about. The exhibition had a very positive turnout and Nikiwe says this was a great opportunity for people who had only seen her work on social media to finally be able to see it at the exhibition.
“People haven’t seen work like this before so they appreciate seeing my work outside of social media. Now they can get to connect with it physically. Also, the support from Botho Project Space, Dark and Lovely and the French Institute (IFAS) has been great.”
Having her work recognized and supported in this manner, she says, it means she’s on the right track. People can see the potential of where her work can go and this will open more doors for her.
“It’s important because it’s who we are, so if we don’t showcase or celebrate it then we lose ourselves and we won’t get an opportunity to educate people about it. Representation helps us to see ourselves and also to be seen. It helps us to relate to each other too and for people to get to know us.”
Image Credit: twitter.com/Nix_indamix
With major entities already aligning with her brand, Nikiwe is adamant on making sure that she does not lose the authenticity in her work as it gains popularity.
“I always go back to why I started and to what I want to achieve, that helps me to align with people and brands that fit my vision. When it doesn’t fit, then I won’t compromise because I will lose focus of what I stand for. They come to me because of my authenticity so we’ll have to meet each other where we’re all comfortable with what we want to achieve.”
Some of Nikiwe’s work has been for some of South Africa’s biggest names in the industry such as, Busiswa, Boity, Nandi Madida, Shudufhadzo, and Elsa Majimbo. When she looks back at all the iconic pieces she has done so far, she says some of her favorite pieces have to be the headpiece she did for Busiswa on Black is King, Boity’s Glamour cover and Elsa Majimbo’s hairstyles on Native Magazine. In addition to having her work featured on Beyonce’s Black is King, she was also recognised by being included in the Design Indaba Emerging Creative Class of 2021 – a prestigious honour for any Creative building their name.
Image Credit: Anthea Pokroy
Through the success of her recent exhibition, she hopes that more people will start to see hair as art and most importantly, she hopes people will see the value in creating art that reflects our cultures and diverse traditions.
“We need to keep reinventing it. Our hands are powerful. We should continue pushing boundaries through handcraft work and art. Let’s not forget how powerful and creative we are as Africans, there’s a lot we can learn and exchange. My exhibition is a fusion of inspiration from different African countries (Ghana, Benin, Cameroon and South African) because I wanted to share knowledge about what other cultures do to celebrate their royalty and translate that to hair since it’s our crown.”