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Fringe benefits? Hairdresser-turned-artist cuts it in Edinburgh with hirsute portraits

Alice Jones' Arts Diary

Alice Jones
Thursday 15 August 2013 11:50 BST
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Halfway through the Fringe, and need to tidy up your own fringe? (Sorry). Head to Summerhall where Stuart McCaffer has set up a hairdressing hut in the back garden.

The shed is a replica of the Edinburgh barbershop, Saki + Flynn, he ran for 10 years before retraining as an artist. "This is the first time I've thought about combining my skills", he says.

Punters can get a haircut for the bargain price of £10; in return McCaffer gets to keep their hair, in numbered envelopes pinned to the shed walls. "The plan is to mix each lot with wax and make into a miniature portrait of the customer."

Next summer, visitors will be able to look up their number and find their hair portraits in a "giant diorama" at Summerhall.

As for the excess hair, McCaffer is sticking that to the outside of the shed for now. "I have no idea how that fits in with health and safety regulations", said one worried Summerhall staffer.

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