How Your Haircut Supports Local Artists
Discover the creative community behind our unique hair salon in Peckham
DKUK is not a traditional hair salon or a traditional art gallery. We are something entirely our own. Alongside providing expert haircuts, curly hair services, balayage and creative colour in Peckham, we use our space to exhibit art and financially support the artists who create it.
Every exhibition you see on our walls costs DKUK £750 to produce. We do not charge artists to exhibit their work. We pay them.
Where The Money Goes
Each DKUK exhibition involves more than simply hanging work on the wall. We want every show to be presented and documented to a high standard.
The £750 exhibition budget is divided between the people involved:
- £375 is paid directly to the artist
- £250 pays a professional photographer to document the exhibition
- £125 pays a technician to help install the work
Even with this investment, producing an exhibition still relies on considerable time, generosity and goodwill from everyone involved.
We think it is important that our clients understand this. When you book a curly haircut, visit one of our balayage experts or purchase professional hair products at DKUK, part of that money enables us to continue supporting artists and creating new exhibitions.
We Never Charge Artists To Exhibit
Some galleries ask artists to pay to show their work. DKUK has never worked that way.
Artists already invest an enormous amount of time, thought and money in developing their practice. We believe their contribution should be recognised and paid for wherever possible.
Our motivation is also different from that of a commercial gallery. We do not select art simply because it is easy to sell. We want to introduce our clients to work that might be beautiful, surprising, challenging, funny or unfamiliar.
It means that clients can encounter exciting contemporary art as part of an everyday salon visit, without needing to enter a formal gallery environment.
Making Art More Accessible
Art galleries can sometimes feel intimidating, particularly if you are unfamiliar with the art world or unsure how you are expected to behave inside them.
At DKUK, art is experienced in a completely different setting. You might discover an artist while having a haircut, maintaining your curls or talking to your colourist about a new hair colour.
You do not need any specialist knowledge. You can look closely, ask questions or simply enjoy having something interesting in front of you.
Since DKUK began, we have hosted dozens of exhibitions, commissioned new work and collaborated with arts organisations in the UK and overseas. Bringing art into the salon allows it to become part of ordinary conversation and everyday life.
A Creative And Inclusive Salon In Peckham
Our approach to art is connected to our wider belief that a hair salon can be more thoughtful, inclusive and welcoming. DKUK works with all hair types and textures. Whether you are looking for a curly hair specialist, an experienced stylist for Afro or multi-textured hair, a precision haircut or a balayage expert in Peckham, your appointment will be shaped around you.
The artwork may change from one exhibition to the next, but our purpose remains the same: to create a place where individuality and creativity are taken seriously.
Your Appointment Makes A Difference
When you visit DKUK, you are not only paying for your hair service or products, you are helping us to pay artists, photographers and technicians fairly and to keep bringing ambitious contemporary art to Peckham.
Your haircut helps us hang the next exhibition. Your colour appointment helps us commission artists. Your product purchase helps us document their work professionally.
That is part of what DKUK is: a salon, an exhibition space and a unique creative business that values both great hair and great art.
Book Your DKUK Appointment and Help Support The Arts
Visit our inclusive Peckham salon for expert cutting, colouring, balayage and curly hair services while discovering the latest exhibition on our walls.
Book online or call 020 3609 0920.