Barber Signs from the Standard Bank African Art Collection Exhibition dates: 20 June to 20 July 1996 Africa has a long tradition of elaborate hairdressing linked to a complex set of meanings involving social status and personal affiliations. The exhibition focused on the richness of the hairdressing tradition in Africa and its change with the introduction of styles and names influenced by Western fashion. The names of the hairstyles reveals the development of an American sub-culture and tell of the aspirations of the modern, west African city dweller. Names refer to travel - Concord Zip, 707 Overspeed and Boeing Cut, to the lure of exotic places - Santiago and Cincinnati Zip, to narcotics - Cocaine Cut. Hairstyles are also named after role models like Pele, Carl Lewis and Eddie Murphy. Brightly painted posters are used by barbers to advertise and attract customers. The barber posters originate from various signwriters' studios in Mali, Ivory Coast, Ghana and Nigeria. Through the centuries, African societies adopted particular hairstyles which became an integrated element of their sculptural tradition. The traditional African hairdo was also represented by sculptures showing remarkable coiffure.