Kailyn Hill’s work investigates the construction of identity through an exploration into various forms of self-expression and personal adornment. Her work attempts to trace Black American cultural aesthetics to its roots and is representative of her own search for the connection between traditional African adornment and contemporary expressions of style and identity. She also investigates the construction of identity during a time in which Black culture has been merged with American culture, hypervisibility of Black culture has left aspects of it vulnerable to overconsumption, commodification and appropriation; turning significant aspects of Black American culture into trends or costumes which are often quickly discarded and distinguished from the people who created these styles. Her work attempts to carve out a space to reclaim agency and ownership over these styles and assert them as valid in their own right.

Kailyn Hill (she/her/they/them) is a multimedia artist, and St. Louis native, currently attending the University of Missouri in pursuit of her B.F.A. Having a deep rooted interest in forms of personal adornments such as grills, durags, different hairstyles, etc., they have begun to explore the historical significance of these styles to the Black community. Their work addresses the appropriation of Black culture and aesthetics specifically as it relates to contemporary styles of personal adornment. Hill’s work critiques the way that black fashions are appropriated which erases the historical significance and meaning of the styles, and aims to celebrate the Black community by recognizing and asserting the beauty in various parts of Black culture. Seek But You May Not Find explores how identity is formed, one mode being self-expression through personal adornment in an attempt to tie the Black diaspora together while uplifting and celebrating the ability to create a vibrant distinctive culture from nothing.