Botanical Surrealism: Merryn Omotayo Alaka and Sam Frésquez’s "Kanekalon Forest"

For residents of Chicago, the city’s concrete architecture and steel-grid skyline are often punctuated by the necessary, verdant relief of public green spaces. The Lincoln Park and Garfield Park Conservatories serve as more than just architectural marvels; they are essential sanctuaries. Within these glass-walled ecosystems, Chicagoans find a refuge from the Midwestern winter, surrounded by tropical specimens that defy the harsh regional climate.

It is within this spirit of immersive, artificial, and curated nature that artists Merryn Omotayo Alaka and Sam Frésquez have developed their latest collaborative exhibition, Your Birth is My Birth. Currently on view at the Jane Lombard Gallery, the exhibition transforms the traditional white-cube gallery space into an uncanny, synthetic ecosystem. By utilizing Kanekalon—a high-quality synthetic fiber typically used for hair extensions—the duo has constructed a "Kanekalon forest" that challenges our perceptions of growth, heritage, and the biological impulse to survive.

The Core Exhibition: A Synthetic Ecosystem

Your Birth is My Birth is not merely a collection of objects; it is an environment. Upon entering the Jane Lombard Gallery, visitors are greeted by a surreal landscape where sculptures made of dark, synthetic hair hang from the ceiling like weeping willows or jungle vines, while others emerge from the floorboards like parasitic or epiphytic growths.

Luscious Hair Sculptures Sprout Like Branches in a Symbiotic Exhibition

The exhibition features five distinct "species" of sculptures: Listening Roots, Hearing Bells, Mother & Child, Stacking Pearls, and Umbra Pods. Each series explores the structural possibilities of hair, manipulated into domed, bell-shaped, or spindly forms that mimic the natural world while remaining clearly artificial.

The Biological Metaphor: Epiphytes and Symbiosis

The foundational concept behind the exhibition lies in the study of epiphytes—plants that grow on other plants, non-parasitically, drawing moisture and nutrients from the air and rain rather than the soil. Examples include orchids, mosses, and certain species of cacti and kelp.

Alaka and Frésquez draw a direct parallel between these plants and the human experience of lineage and survival. Just as an epiphyte requires a host tree to thrive, the sculptures in the exhibition suggest a cycle of dependency. They exist in a state of intentional symbiosis, where the "host" and the "guest" are inextricably linked, evoking themes of genetic memory, the passing of traits through generations, and the necessity of communal support systems for individual growth.

Chronology: The Evolution of a Concept

The artistic trajectory of Alaka and Frésquez has long been defined by an interest in the tactile and the somatic. To understand the genesis of Your Birth is My Birth, one must look at their individual practices as well as their shared interest in the socio-political implications of hair.

Early Development (2023-2024): Both artists began experimenting with synthetic hair as a sculptural medium, recognizing its ability to mimic organic textures while carrying significant cultural weight, particularly within the Black experience.
The Conservatory Influence (Mid-2025): The duo spent significant time documenting the structure of tropical flora at Chicago conservatories. They became fascinated by the "above and below" nature of these plants—how roots anchor, how vines climb, and how flowers bloom in sheltered, glass-encased environments.
Material Selection (Late 2025): The choice of Kanekalon was deliberate. Known for its durability and its use in protective hairstyles, the material became a metaphor for the strength of human connection and the "synthetic" environments humans create to survive and flourish.
Gallery Installation (May 2026): The final assembly at Jane Lombard Gallery took place over several weeks. The artists worked to ensure the sculptures interacted with the architectural elements of the gallery, such as suctioning "lily pad" discs to the floor to create the illusion that the sculptures were rising naturally from the architecture.

Supporting Data: The Anatomy of the Sculptures

The technical execution of Your Birth is My Birth is as complex as the conceptual framework. The works rely on a marriage of lightweight steel armatures and thousands of individual synthetic fibers.

Sculpture Series	Primary Form	Structural Technique
Listening Roots	Large, vertical tendrils	Suction-based floor anchorage
Hearing Bells	Bell-shaped, pendulous	Ceiling suspension
Mother & Child	Mirrored, dual-tendril	Internal steel skeleton
Stacking Pearls	Feather-duster morphology	Modular interlocking
Umbra Pods	Domed, hollow interior	Intricate knotting/binding

The largest sculpture, part of the Listening Roots series, is a tour de force of engineering. It anchors to the floor with circular, lily-pad-like discs, effectively "rooting" the piece into the gallery floorboards. This allows the sculpture to defy gravity, creating a visual flow that draws the eye upward toward the ceiling, where it dissolves into a web of smaller, delicate tendrils.

The weight of these pieces is distributed through custom-fabricated steel supports that remain hidden beneath the dense, dark fibers. This technical concealment is crucial to the exhibition’s success; it allows the viewer to suspend their disbelief and interact with the work as if it were a living, breathing entity.

Official Statements and Artist Intent

In a joint statement provided by the gallery, Alaka and Frésquez clarified the overarching mission of the project:

"Similar to an epiphyte and its host tree, these sculptural works have their own life cycles. They evoke systems of dependence and exchange, where one form sustains itself from another. We are interested in the ‘birth’ of a sculpture as a metaphor for the birth of an idea or a lineage. When we look at these shapes, we see our own histories—the things that have been passed down to us, the things we have clung to for survival, and the beautiful, complex knots of human connection."

The artists further emphasize that the "Kanekalon forest" is intended to be a sensory experience. The synthetic material, which is soft to the touch yet visually dense, creates a unique acoustic environment in the gallery, dampening sound and creating a hushed, contemplative atmosphere akin to a greenhouse.

Implications: The Intersection of Nature and Technology

Your Birth is My Birth raises profound questions about the nature of the "natural." In an era where climate change and urbanization have distanced humans from the wilderness, we often turn to conservatories and glass-walled gardens to remember what the Earth looks like. By replacing organic plant life with synthetic hair, Alaka and Frésquez are not mocking nature; they are honoring the way humans recreate it to find comfort.

1. The Sociological Lens

Hair is a signifier of identity, culture, and resistance. By using synthetic hair, the artists engage with the history of the Black hair industry and the aesthetic labor that goes into maintenance and styling. Transforming this material into a biological, plant-like structure bridges the gap between the body and the earth, suggesting that we are not separate from the natural world, but rather an extension of it.

2. The Architectural Lens

The Jane Lombard Gallery is transformed into a space of "controlled wildness." The contrast between the rigid, clean lines of the gallery and the sprawling, organic-looking hair sculptures creates a tension that invites the viewer to rethink the purpose of public and private spaces.

3. The Biological Lens

The focus on symbiosis serves as a poignant reminder of the interconnectedness of all life. In a post-pandemic world, the themes of "systems of dependence" feel particularly relevant. The sculptures force us to consider what our "hosts" are—what we rely on to survive, and what we provide support for in turn.

Conclusion: A Must-See Exhibition

Your Birth is My Birth is a triumph of contemporary installation art. It is rare to find a body of work that so seamlessly blends high-concept theory with such an accessible, tactile aesthetic. By inviting viewers into their "Kanekalon forest," Merryn Omotayo Alaka and Sam Frésquez have created a space that is both alien and deeply familiar.

As the exhibition continues its run through June 13, it stands as a testament to the power of collaboration and the endless creative potential of unconventional materials. Whether you are a fan of botanical art, textile sculpture, or socio-political commentary, this exhibition offers a rich, dense experience that lingers in the mind long after you have left the gallery.

For those in the Chicago area, a visit to the Jane Lombard Gallery is highly encouraged. In the same way that a trip to the conservatory provides a reprieve from the steel of the city, Your Birth is My Birth provides a vital, necessary reprieve for the imagination.