We are excited to announce that Lauren Hooks @tigerhooks has been selected as the 2026 Hybrid Body Lab Artist-in-Residence. This year, we received an exceptionally strong pool of applications spanning a diverse range of body-based art forms. After careful review and discussion by the selection committee, followed by interviews with four finalists, Lauren’s compelling hair-based practice and collaborative potential stood out. We are excited to welcome Lauren to the Hybrid Body Lab community. Stay tuned for updates on upcoming artist talks, workshops, and the exhibition in spring 2026.
This residency is funded by the National Science Foundation @nsfgov
#hybridbodylab #wearable #onskin #wovenskin #hairartist #hairart #hairdesign #hairstylist #tattoo #tattooart #tattooartist #makeup #makeupart #textile #etextile #fashion #fashiontech #textileartist #textileart #fiberartist #nailart #fiberart #sewing #weaving #loom #wearableart #design #naildesign
First time creative directing a shoot. I love lending my craft to the visions of others but this time it was MINE! Afrofuturism was the theme. Everyone included came with their BEST and I am so excited to show you guys what we created!
Our model Kerri Garrett @kerri.meawayy is a multitalented entertainer whose spirit shines brighter than all the gold she’s wearing! She came thru with the tribal makeup and ancestral movement that took everything to the next level.
Phae Monae Brooks @phaemonae.555 is an amazing stylist and designer whose looks are out of this world! She created this beautiful look for me with a few days notice and even brought her babies to the shoot to help me make this happen. Those sick finger rings you see? Yea that’s HER!
Last but certainly not least is the shooter Chilly-O @chillyolovesyou !!!!!!!! Chilly gave us space to create an unmatched vibe and captured it in the coolest way!!!
Thank you guys from the bottom of my heart for working with me on this. I created this wig a year ago and since then had been waiting on the “perfect” conditions to make the art. Nothing about this plan was perfect and I almost talked myself out of it a few times but spirit said DO IT! So I did…. This is your sign to go do that thing that you can’t stop thinking about. I promise you it will be dope!
#braids #braidstyles #braidideas #mensbraids #atlantabraids #atlantabraider #houstonbraids #houstonbraider #cornrows #protectivestyles #naturalhair #naturalhairstylist #fishbonebraids #creativebraids #braiddesigns #braidedwig #fyp #explore #photoshoot #afrofuturism #zelie #childrenofbloodandbone #creativeteam #hairart
A few months ago my friend challenged me to use unconventional materials to create my art. So I took a trip to the fabric store. 10 yards of satin trim and some beaded tassel later…. 😍
#hairartist #hairartistry #braidartist #braidartistry #atlbraids #atlbraider #avantgarde #avantgardehair #healthyhair #healthyhairjourney #highfashionhair #festivalhair #festivalhairstyles #festivalbraids #braidsandbeads #babyhairslaid
Video journals became such an important part of my process during this residency. There were so many moments where speaking to the camera helped me process what I was moving through in real time and recognize the growth, beauty, and purpose unfolding.
The exchange of knowledge through this work felt expansive for everyone involved. This moment reminded me that I was onto something, and that my expertise, perspective, and craft held real value in this space.
#HairAsArt #BlackHairArt #TextileArt #ArtistResidency #experimentalhair
Garden Rows — an ode to my ancestors.
This was the most spiritually fulfilling project of my residency.
I first conceived it after encountering Dr. Jingwen Zhu’s LivingLoom, where chia seeds are woven into and grown on fabric. It affirmed something I’ve always known: hair is fabric. From there, I started asking not just what I was making — but why.
My answer led me back to my ancestors.
During the transatlantic slave trade, seeds were braided into hair as a means of survival and self-determination. Black women carried crops like rice, yams, okra, black-eyed peas, and watermelon across the Atlantic to the Americas. Later, these same practices became tools in the pursuit of freedom.
For those who turned survival into legacy, I stand here as your daughter — growing those same seeds into a crown as an act of veneration, memory, and gratitude.
This project is from Hybrid Body Lab Artist-in-Residence 2026. This residency is funded by the National Science Foundation.
Project Credits:
Artist: Lauren Hooks (Hybrid Body Lab 2026 Artist-in-Residence)
Researchers in collaboration: Jingwen Zhu, Pin-Sung Ku, Reto Chen, Wenyi Fu, Melody Xu, Prof. Cindy Hsin-Liu Kao (Lab Director) **Hybrid Body Lab at Cornell University**
Photo Credits:
Photographers: Keiaria Williams
Models: Ashita Singhal, Triston Edwards, Fadekemi Falana
Press Inquiries:
Press Image Kit: Available Upon Request ****(License: CC by-NC-SA 4.0)
Press Contact: Prof. Dr. Cindy Hsin-Liu Kao, [email protected]
#BlackHairArt #HairAsArchive #AncestralIntelligence #TextileArt #DiasporaArt
The Met Gala version was prosthetic… mine is REAL hair 👀✨ Inspired by @AnokYai iconic metallic hair.
I actually wore a version of this to the Renaissance Tour back in 2023 so seeing this aesthetic hit the carpet this year made me so happy 💗 Use any color wax you want or none at all!
Would y’all try this look?
#metgala #AnokYai #WetLookHair #NaturalHairReels #HairTutorial
From runway to research lab, students explored ancestral intelligence, on body design and the future of wearable tech while working with Lauren Hooks, the 2026 Hybrid Body Lab artist in residence.
During her two month residency, Hooks became an integral part of the Cornell community, leading workshops, guest lecturing and collaborating with the Hybrid Body Lab on three projects: hair as a hydroponic environment, hair as a moisture sensing system and hair as a pain relief tool.
From braiding microgreens into cornrows as an homage to ancestors, to designing a sensing system that detects hidden moisture in braided styles, to weaving therapeutic materials for scalp relief, Hooks’ work pushed the boundaries of how we think about hair, health and technology.
Working closely with students, Hooks turned the lab into a space for shared learning and creative exchange. She guided hands-on braiding workshops, collaborated on design and prototyping, and even partnered with students on creative projects: from developing research alongside Design Tech and fiber science students to braiding hair for the Cornell Fashion Collective runway after a chance meeting in the Commons.
“Wearable computing remains largely confined to academia,” said Cindy Hsin-Liu Kao, associate professor in Human Centered Design and lab director. “It often overlooks the deep expertise of on body artists such as hair practitioners. This residency centers those perspectives, especially around hair as a culturally significant site of personal expression.”
“It’s been really fulfilling learning from Lauren… she gave me insight into the deep history, culture and future possibilities with hair,” added Melody Xu ’25.
Explore Hooks's work and other artist and lab projects in Designing Hybrid Skins, an exhibition by the Hybrid Body Lab, Jill Stuart Gallery, Human Ecology Building, through June 26.
Read and see more about Hooks’ residency at the link in bio.
📷 Galib Braschler, Marisa LaFalce, Margaret Tsai, Jingwen Zhu
Behind the scenes of Lauren Hooks
@tigerhooks applying hybrid hair art onto models.
During her two-month residency at our lab, Lauren created a series of hybrid hair art pieces inspired by hair rituals and their cultural and historical contexts. Integrating miniaturized electronics, therapeutic technology, and biodesign from the lab’s prior research, the work explores new possibilities for interaction on hair.
Join us today at 12:15 PM ET for Lauren’s artist talk to learn more about these projects.
The talk will take place in person at HEB T49 on campus. Zoom link available at:
https://www.hybridbody.human.cornell.edu/news/2026/4/20/april-29-hybrid-body-lab-artist-talk-by-lauren-hooks
This chapter changed how I see my work… forever.
Closing out a season that stretched me in the best way.
Grateful for the rooms, the questions, and the shift.
What I’ve been building is bigger than I imagined.
My artist talk is this Wednesday 4/29 at 12:15pm eastern on Zoom—would love to have you in the room.
This is just the beginning!
#BlackHairIsArt
#ArtistInResidence
#HairAsArt
#CreativeScholar
#interdisciplinaryartist
Join us for an artist talk with artist Lauren Hooks. @tigerhooks Specializing in artistic braiding and editorial styling, she merges technical skill with cultural storytelling. She will share about her artwork series titled “A.I. Ancestral Intelligence” created during the Hybrid Body Lab Artist Residency.
Date: Wednesday, April 29
Time: 12:15 pm-1:15 pm ET
Location: HEB T49
Zoom: https://cornell.zoom.us/j/91322465063?pwd=bzbb6jNU7bP2lY73nCbfcpxu1eGfRf.1
Happy Birthday to my SISTER, my Moral Compass 👀😂, my Director of Communications, my Confidante, my Keeper of Memories @dj_cupcake !!!!! I hope that you have a wonderful day and a beautiful, ascendant year ahead. LOVE YOU BIG!!! 💗💗💗💗💗💗
