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Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts recently announced a new photography exhibition called Tangled Roots: Capturing Black Culture. According to a media release, the new exhibition highlights the various expressions of the textured hair community woven into the roots of culture. 

Featured portraits are by two Hampton Roads photographers: Allyn Brown from O’Neal’s Photography Studio in Suffolk and Earl Manning, a contemporary photographer from Hampton. 

A free reception will take place on Thursday, Aug. 8, from 5:30 p.m. until 7 p.m., where guests can meet the artists and see their photography. The free exhibit will be displayed in the Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts art galleries from Aug. 8 through Aug. 31 from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday at 110 Finney Ave. in downtown Suffolk.

The photography exhibition is an extension of the Tangled Roots: An Exploration of Diversity, Culture and Identity expo, held at the Suffolk Center in March 2024, curated by Brittany Waller with the Sunshine Connections and GoodSociety Group. Local Suffolk photographer Allyn Brown attended the Tangled Roots expo and captured the various expressions of Black hair in portraits. These portraits celebrate Black American creatives and professionals in Hampton Roads. Allyn continues his photography practice in Suffolk this summer with a new photography series featured in this exhibition.

Earl Manning will showcase two of his photography series: What’s On Your Head?? and Culture is Comfort. What’s On Your Head?? aims to deconstruct the stigma associated with natural Black hair and traditional beauty standards. Manning states, “the beauty and complexity of Black hair can be seen through the designs we choose, the products we use and the various textures that make our hair diverse.” Culture is Comfort, centers around the joy within the collective Black experience. These intimate images of the Black community focus on cultural expression, celebrations and gatherings.

“I’m honored to continue the Tangled Roots series as it evokes curiosity and conversation about the Black experience,” described Nana A.N. Ferdnance, the Visual Arts Manager at the Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts and curator of the exhibition. “Textured hair is rooted in the multifaceted history of the Black diaspora and continues as a limitless expression of Black identity. The dialogue between Black hair and cultural expression are deeply intertwined. As a Black American creative, there is a personal responsibility to bring visibility and engage audiences at the Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts with narratives of the Black aesthetic.”

Come and experience the beauty and complexity of Black hair and culture through local photographers Allyn Brown and Earl Manning at the Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts. Tangled Roots: Capturing Black Culture’s free exhibition is open to the public through August 31, 2024, 10:00 am to 4:00 pm, Tuesday through Saturday. The Suffolk Center offers wheelchair-accessible galleries, located in historic downtown Suffolk, 110 W. Finney Avenue, Suffolk, Virginia 23434. For additional information please visit SuffolkCenter.org.