Sunday in the Strand of 4C
William Ukoh’s installation, “Sunday in the Strand of 4C” extended the world of a 2D video into a 3D experience. William’s video explores the Afro-caribbean cultural practice of tending to one’s hair on a Sunday, an age-old routine that has now been given a name in pop culture, “Self-care Sundays.”
William and an extended creative team developed the photo series and paired the images with the poetic anecdotes of Black women from his community. But the story didn’t end there, Ashley Mckenzie-barnes (curator), Raquel Da Silva (architectural designer), Dwayne Mcleod (set builder), and Gideon Ayesu (audio/ visual engineer) came together to construct a public art installation exhibited in Toronto at the Harbourfront Centre for a week in the Summer of 2021.
William says, “People from various walks of life came by to interact with the piece in different ways. Some were intrigued by the scale, some made use of the mirrored exterior for selfies, some sat around and took in the calming sounds emanating from the box. Children were intrigued by the fantasy nature of the display. The installation did what I hoped it would; provide a calming environment where you could sit, escape, and simply enjoy a peaceful summer day or night.”