Hair Less: photography and photobook launch

An exhibition of colour prints from the photobook Hair Less by artist and writer Siobhan Wall

This is the first exhibition at Photobook Gallery for Siobhan Wall, a British/Irish artist and writer living and working in Amsterdam. Eclectic in her use of different media, she often makes work about women’s bodies, sexuality and chronic illnesses. She is most well-known for photographing peaceful places for Quiet London and other books in the series published by Frances Lincoln. 

Her focus then turned inward during the Covid pandemic and she started shooting unexpected ‘selfies’. As well as writing about global drawing practices, she also makes work about alopecia, one of the side effects of the medication shetakes for multiple sclerosis. 

She longs to make hair loss beautiful, thereby transforming baldness into something rare and strange in these subtly captivating photos. Playing with small wigs, she also tries to evoke feelings of tenderness – these hairpieces almost seem alive, as strokable as living creatures. Partially deaf, she ensures her hearing aid wire is just visible; her way to celebrate difference whilst reminding us of the detrimental effects of ableism. 

Poems by Siobhan and two other British poets, Keith Griffin and Ramona Herdman, are included in Hair Less. Hand stitched with synthetic hair; the artist’s books will be available during the show. Photographs from this limited- edition book can only be seen during this rare three-day exhibition.