Halifax artist Andrea Ward’s 41-piece suite Hairstories blends sociological research with aesthetic declaration. Composed of hair samples and statements from women interviewed by the artist, Hairstories gives voice to women’s concerns about this one aspect of their appearance.
In 1996, the MSVU Art Gallery acquired eight panels from the series through a donation from Newfoundland Capital Corporation and matching funds from the Canada Council for the Arts.
In 2000, Andrea Ward donated the remaining 33 panels of Hairstories to the Mount Saint Vincent University Collection. Hairstories was included in the 2015 exhibition An Intimate Distance. The catalogue documenting An Intimate Distance contains transcriptions of the texts from all 41 Hairstories panels.
