Plaukai - an exhibition and publication by Francesca Allen (@francesca_allen_) ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Once a year, hundreds of women with thousands of feet of hair flood into a Lithuanian arena for the World’s Longest Hair competition – a folkloric beauty pageant where obsession, tradition and identity converge. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Drawn to the surreal spectacle, British photographer Francesca Allen travelled to the event (known locally as Konkursas Pasaulio Ilgaplaukes) with a Lithuanian friend to document the competition firsthand. Her resulting series, Plaukai (Lithuanian for “hair”), captures some of the nearly 200 participants - from young girls with untouched locks, to older women whose hair pools at their feet - as they walk the runway, get measured by gloved judges and take part in a ritualistic finale that must be seen to be believed. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Plaukai will be exhibited @allotment_e8, with exhibition graphics and an accompanying limited-run publication designed by @adam_ridgeway. It features a text by @frankie__dunn exploring the emotional, cultural and generational significance of long hair in 2025. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 18-25 June 2025 Allotment, Unit 8, Ability Plaza, Arbutus Street, E8 4DT Exhibition open by appointment only Please email info@francesca-allen.co.uk ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Private View & Publication Launch Wednesday 18 June 2025 18:00-21:00 Drinks kindly provided by Kopparberg and East London Brewing Co.