“Other people saw it as disgusting, clogging up their drains and hair brushes, but I saw a real beauty and wanted to use it to make art.”
Despite some finding the idea “eerie and disturbing” – including some of Ms Lewis’s friends, who she said have not entered the display, she said others have been “touched” by her work and were interested in people’s reactions to the hair.
She said: “There’s a great sense of community because everyone feels like they’re involved; it’s their hair. There’s a lot of feelings people have with their hair.
“It creates identities; people see it as beautiful when it’s growing from their scalp, but when it’s cut on the floor, it can disgust them.”
The display is open to the public at the Bonington Gallery of NTU in Nottingham from Friday 17 May to Friday 24 May.
