Many artists have used their craft as an avenue to celebrate the beauty of Black women. One of the latest exhibitions created to honor Black women is a photo collection dubbed Black Women: Power and Grace, the New York Times reported.
The exhibition—which is on display at the National Arts Club in New York City through June 30—features poignant portraits of Black women taken by photographers who are a part of the Kamoinge collective, the news outlet writes. The photos take you on a journey of how women of color have redefined the standards of beauty over time. The images also capture the essence of the power of Black women and how they’ve been the backbone of many political and social movements. Black Women: Power and Grace was inspired by a photo exhibition created several decades ago called The Negro Woman.
“With this exhibition we are showing our love and appreciation to our mothers, wives and sisters,” Russell Frederick, a co-organizer of the exhibition and vice president of the Kamoinge collective told the New York Times. “I think black women, who have mostly been objectified in the media, have actually made a major mark on society that really can’t be quantified but has gone unrecognized.”
Adger Cowans, president and a co-founder of Kamoinge, echoed his statements and says he believes the negative narrative about Black women needs to be changed. “Here we are today and we are still looking at black women negatively. We wanted to show their beauty and power,” he said. The Kamoinge collective, which is a group of New York City-based African American photographers, has been creating thought-provoking projects related to Black culture for 55 years.
There are many creators who have used their artistry to visually defy the stereotypes that society places on Black women. South London-based digital artist Aisha Mohamed reinterpreted Vincent Van Gogh’s work with the faces of Black women to make them more visible in the art space and celebrate their beauty.
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