“I found her! The girl with the flying hair.
In 2014 I photographed Sisa, a 7- year- old girl from the tiny isolated town of San Isidro (Salta Province), of 300 habitants. Her mother helped me to tape her hair on the wall. She was always smiling, even when we removed the tape and some hairs pulled!!
Sisa, like many women from the Kolla indigenous community, sees hair as a reflection of thoughts, mirroring Mother Earth’s essence. They’ve long used plants for healing, guided by a deep spiritual bond with nature. This connection teaches reverence, humility, and sustainability, ensuring resources are used wisely for future generations.
Thanks to the Eugene Smith grant, I revisited Sisa’s town in April. I was unsure if she had cut her hair as a result of modern trends, but to my joy, she still had long hair and the same smile. We taped her hair to the same wall and waited for the sun to be in the same position as that day 10 years ago. There she stood, honouring her ancestors through time, smiling at the universe in Àcheval Pampa s beautiful blouse.”
