5:30PM November 11, 2016 UPDATE 10/15/2017
New Adult Coloring Book Features African-American Hair and
Mandalas
As seen on NBC 12
Coils, curls, and coiffures meet mandalas, patterns, and shapes
in this new adult coloring book by Unicia R. Buster, a Richmond, Va., native.
Ms. Buster, an artist for more than 15 years, recently completed a 365-day
creativity challenge in which she created an Afro each day for a year. Out of
the challenge, “Coloring
Curls: An Adult Coloring Book Celebrating Natural Hair” was
born. In this book, the growing trend of African-American women growing their
hair naturally has been coupled with the growing trend of adult coloring books
to give color enthusiasts a fun stress-relieving treat. Each illustration was
hand drawn by the artist with the same love and attention that is given to
styling naturally curly hair (often called Afros when worn loose). Ms. Buster
self-published her book through CreateSpace, an Amazon company, on November 4,
2016, and has sold 943 copies. It may be purchased for $10 at www.CreateSpace.com/6658866.
“My natural hair journey
began 25 years ago when I was still in high school and being natural was
unpopular. I got my first perm at the early age of 7 and by the time I was 12,
perms had damaged my hair beyond repair. I began braiding my hair at the age of
14 in an attempt to go natural but was always afraid to wear my hair out.
During my senior year of high school, I had to fight for the right to wear my
micro braids down the aisle for graduation. My parents were told that I had to
straighten my hair or I couldn’t participate in the ceremony. As a compromise,
I was allowed to wear the braids as long as they were tucked under my cap out
of site. Then in college, I met other sisters who wore their naturals proudly
(and cornrows/pleats were becoming more popular thanks to celebrities like Da
Brat and Alicia Keys). I felt freer to wear my hair out in all kinds of styles
like the Afro, two-strand twists, cornrows, flat twists, and Bantu knots. This
freeing of my mind allowed me to express myself not only with my hair but also
with my art. I began creating fine art photography, paintings, and art quilts
featuring the natural hair of African-American people to show the beauty and
interesting quality, textures, and patterns of our hair.”
Ms. Buster has won a Visual Arts Fellowship
from the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts and a “Best in Show” award from The
National Arts Program at VCU Medical Center. She received her Bachelor of Fine
Arts degree from Cornell University and her Master of Arts degree from George
Mason University and has exhibited in numerous cities including Richmond, Va.;
Washington DC; Long Island City, NY; and Rome, Italy. She currently works at
VCU Health as the art specialist where she assists with managing and curating
gallery exhibitions and the hospital’s permanent art collection, as well as
teach arts and crafts to patients. She previously worked for 10 years as a
graphic designer for the Richmond Free Press where she won second and third
place in the Virginia Press Association Awards advertisement category. Ms.
Buster has been featured in Style Weekly, the Richmond Times Dispatch, and the
Richmond Free Press and was a guest presenter at the Good Grief Conference
speaking on the impact of arts in legacy and memory making.
