Deep Cs: Stéphane Alexis

"My perspective on life, in general, is that we need each other, and community is important. When a few of us are stumbling, we’re all stumbling. I’m starting conversations about bringing us closer together, and seeking mutual understanding."

Chains & Crowns

Inspired by my mother’s own hair journey, Chains & Crowns explores different hairstyles rooted in Black cultures as symbols of creativity, resistance and resilience. As the lineage of these hairstyles are followed, we find the opportunity to understand members of the culture not only from a technical standpoint, speaking on structure, maintenance and styling, but the history of the people and persons.

Time stamped are these hairstyles throughout members of my communal and individual history, as they’ve cycled through periods of oppression and appreciation through the lens of society and the self. Many of these hairstyles originated in Africa and the Caribbean and have not only been repurposed for survival and adaptation, but ingenuity and creativity.

Deeply woven within the roots of Black culture is the influence of style, community and resilience that has brought growth and character development to many of its members throughout time. This shifting of character has brought forth a unique perspective to our Western culture. As we arrive in the present moment, we are free to follow the strands of love, contentment, and overall beauty of what we call “Black hair”.

- Stéphane Alexis

The Collection

The Collection is a photo-based project that investigates the subconscious through automatism. From the early 1920-30s artists like Salvador Dali use surrealism to help pioneer notions of the unconscious mind. This method, often used in drawing and painting, is herein repurposed through the photographic medium. These series of images uses symbols, textures, and colours to bring forth my dreams, memories, and trials through vivid, ethereal images. Within The Collection, we are presenting two series: Clay and Relationships. Each series tells a story about me and my outlook on life.

Relationships uses chicken feet to represent the ebbs and flows of interpersonal relationships. As these symbols engage in dance, the audience is invited to interpret their own relationships through these works.

Clay explores attachment styles and their outcomes. From infancy to adulthood we live through difficult circumstances. Oftentimes to survive, bits of thoughts and conditioning break down within our subconscious and create behavioral patterns that mold us into who we are. As time passes, these behavioural molds can begin to harden, creating a shell that can be difficult to break out of. Many times individuals can be unaware of these behavioral patterns, especially if they are rooted in infancy/childhood. Making intimacy, friendships, and other relationships difficult to navigate. However, once awareness surfaces work can be done to course correct these unneeded behaviours.

These series have led to a level of deep introspection and insights that has proven to be beneficial to my healing process. In these works, I explore the concept of masking and unveiling myself as I reflect on society.

- Stéphane Alexis