Client: Personal Initiative
Art Direction: Self-directed
Medium: Illustration / Education / Community Engagement

“My Coily Hair and I” is a creative initiative that empowers children to embrace their natural hair and heritage through art, storytelling, and education. The project explores themes of representation, identity and self love, offering free colouring pages, illustrations and creative workshops that celebrate the beauty of coily and curly hair. The project was inspired by my own experiences growing up and learning to love my natural hair. When I was six, my family and I moved to Australia , a huge culture shift that shaped my perspective on identity and belonging. I went to school wearing traditional African hairstyles, only to be made fun of. What was once normal suddenly made me stand out. Wanting to fit in, I turned to relaxers to straighten my hair. It made me feel accepted but it also distanced me from my culture.

Over time, I came to understand that hair is more than just hair . It’s a reflection of pride and identity. By rejecting my natural hair, I had unknowingly rejected parts of my heritage passed down through generations. That realisation became the heart of My Coily Hair and I , a project created to ensure that children with coily and curly hair can grow up feeling seen, celebrated, and proud.

The initiative features free colouring pages, creative workshops, and affirming illustrations designed to spark meaningful conversations between parents, educators and children. Each piece of artwork reflects the joy, individuality, and identity of children with textured hair reminding them that their curls are something to be celebrated. At its core, My Coily Hair and I is a celebration of representation and belonging, using creativity as a bridge to help children see themselves reflected in the stories around them.

After more than twenty years in Australia, I’ve seen that many coily haired children still feel the same disconnect I once did and this isn’t just in Australia. Around the world, from the U.S. to the U.K. and beyond, children with type 4 and tightly coiled hair often face underrepresentation and social bias. This project puts them in the foreground where they deserve to be. It highlights the beauty, pride and strength in the curliest hair textures, encouraging children everywhere to love their coils, curls and culture.

The Koloa characters is inspired by one of my favourite childhood shows, Blinky Bill and represents my connection to Australia. Creating the characters with coily and curly hairstyles connects back to my roots. Giving the characters traditional African hairstyles reflects my younger self’s wish to see more people who looked like me. These characters are a celebration of belonging. You can belong to two cultures without losing one, I had to. The characters help teach kids to celebrate their coils and culture.

The Koloa characters are designed to be relatable and inclusive, helping children especially those from multicultural and African Australian backgrounds, see themselves represented in art and storytelling. Through their playful personalities and diverse appearances, they encourage kids to celebrate their coils, curls, and culture with pride. Every story and illustration reinforces themes of identity, cultural pride, and self love, showing that beauty exists in every curl. The characters are playful and relatable. Not only to African Australians but also to all coily and curly haired kids in Australia. They help children connect with stories of culture, pride, identity, and self love. Teaching them to celebrate their coils, curls and culture.