Crowned: Artist Carla J. Lawson on Hair, Heritage, and Identity

Local artist Carla J. Lawson discusses Crowned, her first museum exhibition at the Vacaville Museum. The show explores traditional African hairstyles as symbols of heritage, identity, and survival, using sculpture, painting, and mixed media.Carla shares the historical meaning behind the braids and forms featured in the exhibit, her process of creating companion sculpture and painting pieces, and how Northern California’s cultural diversity shaped her artistic path. The conversation also touches on her journey as a self-taught artist and why Crowned is meant to be both visually striking and historically grounded.Crowned runs February 5- March 7, 2026