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Kwame Brathwaite: Black Is Beautiful
Photographs by Kwame Brathwaite. Text by Tanisha C. Ford and Deborah Willis.In the late 1950s and throughout the 1960s, Kwame Brathwaite used his photography to popularize the political slogan "Black Is Beautiful." This monograph-the first ever dedicated to Brathwaite's remarkable career-tells the story of a key, but under-recognized, figure of the second Harlem Renaissance.
Inspired by the writings of activist and black nationalist Marcus Garvey, Brathwaite, along with his older brother, Elombe Brath, founded the African Jazz Arts Society and Studios (AJASS) and the Grandassa Models (1962). AJASS was a collective of artists, playwrights, designers, and dancers; Grandassa Models was a modeling agency for black women, founded to challenge white beauty standards. From stunning studio portraits of the Grandassa Models to behind-the-scenes images of Harlem's artistic community, including Max Roach, Abbey Lincoln, and Miles Davis, this book offers a long-overdue exploration of Brathwaite's life and work.“From Beyoncé to Barack Obama, it’s hard to think of a black figure who does not owe their prominence, in some measure, to the ethos of ‘Black is Beautiful’” —Ekow Eshun, Financial Times
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Collaborations: UNITY | Waraire x Kwame
A collection for Rudiments by Waraire -
Collaborations
The Dean Collection x Kwame Brathwaite x 12on12 Long Live Jazz -
Exhibitions
Black American Portraits: LACMA November 7, 2021 - April 17, 2022 Black American Portraits To complement the presentation of The Obama Portraits by Kehinde Wiley and Amy Sherald on tour from the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery (NPG), LACMA presents Black American... More Info
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Unity
Waraire x Kwame
Rudiments by Waraire | Kwame