VISUAL DISPATCH, VOLUME 5:

Janice Mascarenhas

Crowned as the winner of 2021’s Dazed 100, Janice Mascarenhas creates in a wide variety of mediums from sculpting, to photography and videography, and most recently clothing design. In Vol. 5, we spoke with the Brazilian multi-disciplinary artist and creative director regarding the inspiration she draws from Afro-Brazilian culture, her most exciting projects in the pipeline, and her mission to resist dominant and euro-centric beauty standards.  Her recent commercial work with brands and publishers includes Converse, Zara, Glamour and Vogue.

Mascarenhas was born in a Favela outside of Rio and spent much of her childhood at the salon her mother worked in. She attributes seeing her mother’s clients’ image and confidence changing in a few short hours to her belief in the power of transformation, as well as her initial interest and passion in working with hair and utilizing it as a symbol for black empowerment and ancestry.

FOR MANY BLACK PEOPLE, HAIR IS A SOURCE OF IDENTITY AND PRIDE. WITH ITS IMPORTANCE IN THE BLACK COMMUNITY, WHAT MESSAGES DO YOU INTEND TO CONVEY THROUGH YOUR ART? HOW DOES YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR OWN HAIR PLAY A ROLE IN YOUR CREATIONS?

I was born to a White family; I didn’t have any visual representation. My mom tried to teach me how beautiful my hair was, but in school, I was attacked a lot because of my cultural roots. I tried many techniques to have straight hair, but it was very aggressive and my curls showed up after a few days. I was never able to be a part of their White society because of my hair. I believe that if you are black your aesthetic is one of the most important ways to express yourself. In order to present my black aesthetic, I only had two options: represent my community authentically, or try to conform to white beauty standards… And yes, of course, I chose to make my art the object of my resistance in white conformity. 

YOU RECENTLY DID A PIECE FOR VOGUE BRAZIL WHERE YOU RECREATED ONE OF YOUR GRANDFATHER’S PAINTINGS ON HAIR. HOW DID YOUR FAMILY PLAY A ROLE IIN THE WAY YOU DISCOVERED YOUR CREATIVE EXPRESSION?

When I was young, my daddy saw me drawing comics and introduced me to my Brazilian ancestors’ line of work. He told me stories of my grandfather, who was an Italian and came to Brazil to restore paintings in churches.

IN WHAT WAYS DO YOU THINK THAT GROWING UP IN BRAZIL HAS INFLUENCED YOUR WORK? HOW WAS YOUR EXPERIENCE WORKING WITH VOGUE? WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR FAVORITE PROJECT THUS FAR?

Through art and performance, I try to show a mix of everything I saw in Brazil: the fabrics, clay, textures, and colors. My mind is a big archive of everything I see here. Working with Vogue was amazing. I had the opportunity to direct the hair for an article that was about my research and work. I couldn’t be more excited. My favorite project is my film, and I’m working on that now.

COULD YOU SHARE A LITTLE MORE ABOUT YOUR FILM?

My film will tell the history of the afro diaspora in Brazil and how braids were used as a tool for resistance. I’m creating 38 pieces of art that will visually represent the poem I use to narrate this story. I invited 13 black artists born in Brazil and each one will be a part of a body that I’m creating using clay and hair.

HAIR IS THE MEDIUM YOU ARE MOST KNOWN FOR, HOWEVER ARE THERE ANY OTHER ATYPICAL MEDIUMS YOU’D LIKE TO EXPLORE?

To be honest, I love to make clothes. I entered the market as a hairstylist because I can do many [types of] handcrafts, but I am finally doing my research about clay clothes and macrame dresses.

WE SAW YOU JUST CREATED AN NFT ART PIECE FOR AN EXHIBIT CALLED “FANTASY” WITH OTHER ORGANIZATIONS. TELL US A LITTLE MORE ABOUT THAT, AND HOW YOU THINK TECHNOLOGY WILL INFLUENCE CHANGE OR IMPACT YOUR WORK?

I believe deeply in the NFT market and how there’s more artist ownership for the money that comes through it. I will continue to create art that connects to the causes that most urgently need money in Brazil. I’m happy to say the NFT I created sold recently, and the exhibit was in partnership with Um Chão Para Bia, which focused on building a home for the Trans artist Biana Kalutor in Rio de Janeiro.

WHAT CHANGE DO YOU HOPE TO INSPIRE?

I want to inspire Black people through their hair. I hope self-love is able to positively impact souls.

WHAT LESSONS DO YOU WISH YOU COULD HAVE LEARNED SOONER?

Patience and to not compare my art with anyone else.

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