Melat Miranda-Ramirez, a student at the Rhode Island School of Design, is pursuing her BFA in Painting. Through her hair braid art, Miranda-Ramirez explores identity, culture, and power. For her, braids are a declaration of self-love and a link to her heritage. In a society that often overlooks Black bodies, her art serves as a form of resistance. Miranda-Ramirez draws inspiration from her childhood, where love was expressed through physical gestures like her mother's gentle hair braiding. Her portraits celebrate the memories and emotions tied to her hair, a symbol of her identity and connection to her culture.