I received this book for free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Love and Justice by Laetitia Ky Published by Chronicle Books on April 5, 2022
Genres: Self-Help / Motivational & Inspirational
Pages: 224
Format: ARC, eBook
Source: Netgalley
The deeply personal story of artist, activist, and influencer Laetitia Ky, told through the powerful sculptures she creates with her own hair that embrace Black culture and beauty, the fight for social justice, and the journey toward self-love.
Laetitia Ky is a one-of-a-kind artist, activist, and creative voice based in Ivory Coast, West Africa. With the help of extensions, wool, wire, and thread, Ky sculpts her hair into unique and compelling art pieces that shine a light on, and ignite conversation around, social justice. Her bold and intimate storytelling, which she openly shares with her extensive social media audience, covers issues like:
• Sexism and internalized misogyny
• Racial oppression
• Reproductive rights and consent
• Harmful beauty standards
• Shame and its corrosive effect on mental health
• And moreLove and Justice is equal parts memoir, artwork, and feminist manifesto. Ky's striking words, combined with 135 remarkable photographs, offer empowerment and inspiration. She emerges from her exploration of justice and equality with a message of self-love, showing readers the path to loving themselves and their bodies, expressing their voices, and feeling more confident.
Through this celebration of women's empowerment, Ky extends a generous invitation to love ourselves, embrace our unique beauty, and to work toward a more just world.
This is a fantastic book that is half personal essay and half photography, although some of it feels like a textbook or a magazine, with little callouts of blocks of texts with facts about the Ivory Coast or explanations about African culture. Laetitia Ky’s hair sculptures and modeling is absolutely magnificent, and it’s laid out well throughout the book. There’s one where Ky is lying on the beach and her hair acts as the head of the alligator — I thought this was supremely clever and quite funny. I think this would be a lovely book to keep on your coffee table. Four stars. Bookshop link.
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