Over the course of 16 years, he was able to accumulate hundreds of wigs which were stored away in containers until he had an idea for a new personal project: to fill an empty apartment wall with wig portraits of his friends whenever they came over. “I found shooting just one wig a bit boring, so I started stacking multiple wigs to create something more visually compelling. Since the wigs were covering their faces and creating anonymity, it presented the opportunity for people to say whatever they want without any consequences. During an age of selfies and personal branding, it’s freeing to create the space for someone to be completely anonymous.”

While cleaning out a closet, Dagenais found a little 3D printed bust of himself that a friend had once gifted to him. Inspiration struck, and he decided to craft miniature sculptures based on the portraits he had been taking; an incredibly time-consuming venture with each little strand of hair being shaped by hand. “I grew up playing with polymer clay alongside my mum who loved making big chunky 80s jewellery at the time. So, since I had an understanding of this particular clay, I thought it was perfect to get the results I was imagining for the tiny hair strands.” With some trial and error he figured out how to cast plaster moulds from the original bust; “the whole process is pretty tedious and time consuming, but I find it super meditative and seeing these cute little characters on my shelves when they’re finished makes me happy.”

When asked how he is holding up at the moment, Dagenais’ response is candid, “I have good days, but there have definitely been mornings when I wake up totally weighed down by all this. It’s really so surreal.” What has helped him is using his freed up days to throw himself into his sculptures series. Usually one sculpture takes at least a month to complete but during this isolation period Dagenais manages to hammer them out in a fraction of that time. “I’ve been putting in eight hours a day to keep my hands and mind occupied and have been producing about one a week, which is amazing. I’m grateful to have these sculptures to work on right now. I think I’d be going a little crazy, otherwise.”

For now, without a definitive solution or end in sight, it’s hard not to feel anxious about the future. “I can go into a deep spiral if I really start to think about it.” Dagenais says he hopes his friends who own small salons or work behind the chair are able to survive this chunk of time because in a post-lockdown world he foresees bustling salons everywhere filled with people desperate to get their hair done again. “I have a feeling that once things do go back to normal, it’s going to be full-on. I’m looking forward to being able to get back to my craft and I’m sure everyone else is too. In the meantime, I’m taking advantage of this forced isolation to focus on the stuff that I wish I had more time for in my day-to-day life, so I’m thankful for that. “