Charlotte Mensah’s Exhibition Celebrates Hair, Culture, and Community

Charlotte Mensah, a trailblazer in Afro and textured hair care, is the subject of a new exhibition at London’s Ladbroke Hall. Titled Community Matters, the mixed-media showcase traces her path from childhood in Ghana to founding her renowned Portobello Road salon, Hairlounge. Rather than simply transplanting salon artifacts into a gallery, Mensah worked with friends, customers, curator Madeleine Haddon and designer Jacqueline Douglas to recreate the intimacy and conversation central to her practice, incorporating photography, objects, and family memories. The exhibition also explores the changing visibility of Afro and textured hair while highlighting Mensah’s call for stronger education, standards, and qualifications in hairstyling. Through workshops and masterclasses, Mensah continues pushing for salons everywhere to properly serve textured hair, reflecting decades of community-driven progress in the industry.