Left to its own devices hair naturally twists, eventually knotting together, to form rope-like strands called "locs"

A well-known symbol of the Rastafari, an African-centric religion and lifestyle developed in Jamaica in the 1930’s, the earliest documented mention of this hairstyle is found in Vedic scriptures. Within these ancient texts, which date back to at least 1800 BCE, the deity Lord Shiva is depicted to be wearing Jata, a Sanskrit word, meaning “twisted locks of hair”

Interestingly, the wearing of locs has been traced to just about every civilisation and culture known to humanity. Today, a flashpoint of cultural appropriation, many followers of various religions wear locs holding the belief that they are a spiritual gateway from one realm to another

That is to say this photographic work of art has been created to evoke or gift to somebody who proudly adorns their hair in this way; that their spirals of locs map the course of life, they represent the force of life and connect them to the source of life

Design

Highly defined and richly coloured, Jata brings a warm personality to your interior even in black & white. Perfect to cover empty walls within the home or works well with globally-inspired schemes that are peppered with cultural artefacts

Giclée print only without frame

Printed on Hahnemühle Photo Rag® Ultra Smooth, 308gsm, produced using Ultrachrome Archival Ink

Edition of 15

Orientation

Landscape

Where was this photograph take?

Port Royal, Kingston, Jamaica