Merryn Omotayo Alaka and Sam Frésquez Unveil Kanekalon Hair Forest at Jane Lombard Gallery

Merryn Omotayo Alaka and Sam Frésquez present "Your Birth is My Birth" at Jane Lombard Gallery in New York, a collaborative exhibition of synthetic hair sculptures that transform the gallery into a "Kanekalon forest." The show, on view through June 13, features five distinct series—Listening Roots, Hearing Bells, Mother & Child, Stacking Pearls, and Umbra Pods—each crafted from Kanekalon hair and steel supports. Inspired by epiphytes, non-parasitic plants like orchids and moss, the works explore symbiosis, dependence, and intergenerational genetics. Suspended from the ceiling and spreading across the floor, the sculptures evoke organic growth and mirror the immersive experience of conservatories such as Chicago's Lincoln Park and Garfield Park Conservatory. The artists describe the exhibition as a system where one form sustains another, referencing life cycles and exchange.