“4C Tools” 2021, acrylic on wood panel, 12 x 16 inches
 
Many black girls with 4C hair type struggle to take care of their hair because it is too thick and difficult to handle hence, making them appreciate it less. “4C Tools” is a still-life painting that represents products and objects the artist uses to take care of her natural hair since she was a child. The purpose of this piece is to encourage young black girls to love their natural hair by taking care of it with the right tools, irrespective of what hair type they have.
 
ARTIST PROFILE:
Chimemelie is a multidisciplinary artist currently studying art at OCADU in the Drawing and Painting program. She enjoys working with a variety of mediums but a majority of her pieces are acrylic and oil paintings. A theme in most of her works is identity. She explores this theme by not only focusing on herself as a black girl but also as someone who struggles with anxiety. She expresses herself through her art and reveals her current sense of self through her paintings, drawings and sculptures. The purpose of her works is to shed light on her life, leaving room to encourage and educate the viewers as they examine themselves through her works.