Design Map · Eindhoven
The Afterlife of the Ritual
Graduation project by Lindiwe Bhebe at Design Academy Eindhoven, 2026. Shown during Dutch Design Week in Eindhoven on Design Map, location F5.
‘The Afterlife of the Ritual’ is a design service by Lindiwe Bhebe, which makes use of synthetic hair waste in dialogue with its wearer. Each object created by the afrofuturistic designer originates from an individual story, which women of colour have shared with her. Each design begins with a conversation that delves into the client’s memories, and impacts the object’s shape, texture, colour or function. The statement pieces reflect on Black braiding culture and the ritual of unbraiding. Giving space to the leftover material, the designer reappropriates the synthetic hair, which can’t be recycled and is usually wasted, and transforms it into new surfaces and textures through techniques of felting, weaving and wrapping. The project brings personal connections and individual lived experiences into the spaces where the rituals of braiding and unbraiding take place, into homes and salons, where the leftover material can be seen, touched and honoured again by the women who once wore it in their braids.