Only Pain Can Heal Pain

Used Hair Brush and Needles | 4X10X4”

My interdisciplinary practice explores my identity as a diasporic and marginalised individual through art that bridges cultures and histories. I use my own hair as thread, stitching personal and ancestral memory into cloth and objects. This act is both intimate and symbolic—my hair, carrying my DNA, transforms each piece into a living self-portrait. The process of collecting, cleaning, and sewing hair onto textiles is a ritual of care, echoing cycles of loss, migration, and renewal. By embroidering with hair, I seek to heal and preserve fragments of self and heritage.

Textiles and embroidery are integral to my Bangladeshi roots, especially the Nakshi Kantha tradition, which inspires my visual storytelling. My work reinterprets this legacy, combining traditional techniques with contemporary ideas. Each artwork is both a provocation and a remembrance, reflecting the complexities of modern identity. Through these practices, I honour my matrilineal lineage and the cultural symbolism of hair in Bangladeshi society. Ultimately, my art aspires to transform personal and collective wounds into wholeness, using the intimate medium of hair to connect past, present, and future.

©Asma Sultana. All rights reserved. Usage, reproduction, or altering of artwork is not permitted without permission. Each piece of artwork is intellectual property and is protected by copyright law.