About Amanda Jane Graham
Amanda Jane Graham is an artist and sociologist re-evaluating art history from a hairdressing perspective.
Artist Statement
The Coiffured combines three key aspects of Amanda Jane Graham’s life: art practice, sociology, and the two decades she spent as a hairstylist. The project distils a lifetime of experience and new research into a series of unique and detailed drawings, inspired by the intertwined histories of art and hairdressing. From a sociological perspective, The Coiffured uncovers the rich and fascinating history of the hairdressing profession.
The journey of The Coiffured began thirty years ago. As a teenager, Graham considered pursuing a creative career. Hairdressing was an ideal choice. The profession celebrates individuality and creativity, and she sees it as sculptural—shaping forms with hair and air, which she practised for 22 years.
On many occasions, while working as a stylist, Graham faced discriminatory comments such as: “Sure, what would you know, you’re only a hairdresser.” The industry continues to be undervalued as a career, and prejudiced remarks remain common. Her sociological curiosity motivated her to explore the origins of this bias. As she researched, she uncovered a rich, fascinating history of hair and beauty spanning over five millennia, from Ancient Egypt to the French Revolution and beyond. The Coiffured takes an activist stance, highlighting the significant contributions of the hairdressing profession to well-known historical artworks.
Biography
Graham exhibits nationally and internationally. Since completing her Master's Degree in Fine Art in 2011, she has been awarded an MLitt in Sociology in 2019 and has had 20 solo exhibitions and 30 group exhibitions. Her recent solo shows were at the Leitrim Sculpture Centre and the Royal Dublin Convention Centre in 2024, the Irish Architectural Archive, Dublin, in 2023, the Dock Arts Centre, Leitrim, in 2019, and the RHA, Dublin, in 2017. In 2023, she received a Leitrim Art Award for her contribution to the arts. She was a finalist for the Sir John Soane Drawing Office Residency and the Business to Arts Best Creativity in the Workplace Award. Her exhibition, The Coiffured, was awarded the Creative Ireland Creative Communities Economic Action Fund in 2022; she received the Platform 31 Bursary in 2021 and 2020, the Spark Residency Award, and is the recipient of the Arts Council of Ireland Bursary and Agility Awards. Recent publications include RTÉ Arena, RTÉ Brainstorm, RTÉ Culture, News Talk’s Talking History, and the Irish Times.