Welcome, and thank you for visiting. I’m Ryan Watson—artist, storyteller, and the creative voice behind Tell Your Hairstory.

This collection of Tell Your Hairstory represents more than just an art project; it’s an intimate journey through my personal experiences with hair—its power, its politics, and its profound influence on identity. Using photography, mixed media, and written reflections, I seek to capture the complexities of beauty standards, cultural expectations, and self-expression.

As a Black woman, my relationship with hair has been both beautiful and challenging, shaping how I see myself and how the world perceives me. From the pressure to conform to the joy of embracing authenticity, these works reflect moments of struggle, resilience, and liberation.

My goal as an artist is to invite dialogue—to create space where others can see themselves in these narratives, reflect on their own journeys, and question the ways identity is constructed and expressed. Through this body of work, I hope to highlight that hair is never “just hair”; it’s history, culture, and a deeply personal story we all carry—strand by strand.

Thank you for allowing me to share mine with you.