# theBLKGZE
> Black photography, visual culture and original research exploring how Black ways of seeing help us understand photography more fully.
Public Ghost content for AI and LLM tooling. Use `/llms-full.txt` for consolidated page and post context.
Append `.md` to any post or page URL to get the content in Markdown (for example, `/example-post.md`).

## Pages
- [About](https://www.theblkgze.com/about.md) - Expanding photography through Black ways of seeing theBLKGZE is an independent publication dedicated to advancing the understanding of photography through Black photographers, Black archives, Black visual culture and Black ways of seeing. We believe photography is more than a visual medium. It is a…
- [Contact](https://www.theblkgze.com/contact.md) - Start a conversation Photography advances through dialogue as much as it does through photographs. Whether you have a question, an idea, a photographer we should research, an archive we should explore, a story to share, or a collaboration in mind, we'd be pleased to hear from you. We welcome messag…
- [Cookies](https://www.theblkgze.com/cookies.md) - Effective Date: 15-Nov-2020 Last Updated: 20-Apr-2025 Page under construction We’re working on this page and will have it ready soon. In the meantime, if you have any questions or need more information, feel free to contact us. Thanks for your patience. Check back again shortly.
- [Privacy Policy](https://www.theblkgze.com/privacy.md) - Effective Date: 15-Nov-2020 Last Updated: 20-Apr-2025 Page under construction We’re working on this page and will have it ready soon. In the meantime, if you have any questions or need more information, feel free to contact us. Thanks for your patience. Check back again shortly.
- [Terms of use](https://www.theblkgze.com/terms.md) - Effective Date: 15-Nov-2020 Last Updated: 20-Apr-2025 Page Under Construction We’re working on this page and will have it ready soon. In the meantime, if you have any questions or need more information, feel free to contact us. Thanks for your patience. Check back again shortly.
- [Welcome to Holding Space](https://www.theblkgze.com/thank-you-for-signing-up.md) - Thanks for subscribing Holding Space is our monthly newsletter exploring Black photography, visual culture, and the ideas shaping how we see. You'll be the first to hear about new interviews, essays, opportunities, and projects from across theBLKGZE. Until then, explore the site, discover the photo…
- [theBLKGZE](https://www.theblkgze.com/the-black-gaze.md) - The Philosophy Behind theBLKGZE Photography does more than record the world. It shapes how we understand people, places, cultures and histories. Every photograph reflects choices about attention, memory, experience and meaning. In doing so, photography becomes a way of knowing. At theBLKGZE, we bel…

## Posts
- [Every family has a Grandma Pam](https://www.theblkgze.com/foundation/every-family-has-a-grandma-pam.md) - History remembers those who changed the world. Family photographs remember those who changed us.
- [The afterlife of a photograph](https://www.theblkgze.com/foundation/the-afterlife-of-a-photograph.md) - Every photograph acquires a history of its own. But the history of the image is not the same as the history of the person within it.
- [Photography has never had one universal way of seeing](https://www.theblkgze.com/foundation/the-black-gaze-and-the-myth-of-photographys-universal-vision.md) - Ming Smith's work reminds us that the gaze is not simply about what appears within the frame. It shapes what photographers recognise as meaningful before the camera is ever raised.
- [The Black Gaze and the myth of photography's universal vision](https://www.theblkgze.com/foundation/the-black-gaze-and-the-fullness-of-black-life.md) - Photography has often spoken as though it possessed one universal way of seeing. The Black gaze begins with a different proposition: every way of seeing begins somewhere.
- [Beyond Brixton: What Bumpkin Files Reveals About Black Britain](https://www.theblkgze.com/essays/beyond-brixton-what-bumpkin-files-reveals-about-black-britain.md) - A Different Picture of Black Britain Open the Bumpkin Files archive and one thing becomes immediately apparent. Nobody looks as though they are trying to make history. There are family gatherings, school portraits, birthday parties and children standing proudly beside bicycles. Parents smile into c…
- [Stop chasing crumbs. Build your own legacy.](https://www.theblkgze.com/essays/stop-chasing-crumbs-build-your-own-legacy.md) - The photograph and the question of authority Carrie Mae Weems stands behind a wooden table, both hands resting firmly on its surface. A hanging lamp casts a circle of light around her face while the rest of the room recedes into shadow. Behind her hangs a framed picture. To one side is a door. Noth…
- [Blackness doesn’t need to be defined by only struggle](https://www.theblkgze.com/essays/blackness-doesnt-need-to-be-defined-by-only-struggle.md) - What we learn to see For much of photography's history, Black life has entered the frame through hardship. Cameras arrived at moments of protest, poverty, violence, or resistance. These images mattered. Many still do. They documented realities that demanded attention and challenged injustices that…
- [Wi Likkle But Wi Tallawah](https://www.theblkgze.com/essays/wi-likkle-but-wi-tallawah.md) - "Wi likkle but wi tallawah" is one of Jamaica's most enduring declarations of self understanding. The phrase acknowledges the island's small size while rejecting the assumption that size determines significance. It is an answer to anyone who mistakes geography for influence, population for power, o…
- [56 Black Men: Reframing Black male identity](https://www.theblkgze.com/essays/56-black-men-reframing-black-male-identity.md) - The gaze comes first The first thing you notice is not the hoodie. It is the gaze. One after another, the men in Cephas Williams' 56 Black Men look directly into the camera. There is no performance of toughness. No attempt to entertain. No effort to soften themselves for the comfort of the viewer.…
- [What Zun Lee saw](https://www.theblkgze.com/essays/what-zun-lee-saw.md) - Beyond the stereotype Zun Lee's Father Figure is often discussed as a corrective to stereotypes of Black fatherhood. The project emerged from Lee's own experience of fatherlessness and from his desire to photograph forms of Black masculinity that rarely appear in mainstream media. Across the series…
- [What Khadija Farah saw](https://www.theblkgze.com/essays/what-khadija-farah-saw.md) - Four women beneath an open sky Four women stand beneath an open sky, their figures framed against the vastness of the Kenyan landscape. They hold necklaces, bracelets and beaded ornaments in their hands. There is no dramatic action to explain the scene. The women are not making jewellery, selling i…
- [What Hilina Abe saw](https://www.theblkgze.com/essays/what-hilina-abe-saw.md) - What deserves our attention? Look closely at this photograph. A priest stands against a stone wall, his attention fixed on a prayer book held gently in his hands. Light enters from the side of the frame, illuminating the pages and catching the folds of the white garment draped across his shoulders.…
- [What Chester Higgins Jr. saw](https://www.theblkgze.com/essays/what-chester-higgins-jr-saw.md) - Look closely at this photograph. Let your eyes stay with it, and ask yourself, "What am I really seeing?" A man kneels in the sand before a cross. His back is to us. His arms are raised in quiet petition. A pair of sandals lie behind him, half-buried in soft earth. The Atlantic edges into view bene…
- [What Liz Johnson Artur saw](https://www.theblkgze.com/essays/what-liz-johnson-artur-saw.md) - Look closely at this photograph. Let your eyes stay with it, and ask yourself, "What am I really seeing?" Three boys ride through a tunnel. The night wraps around them, but they don’t flinch. One chews gum. One stares ahead with wired focus. One stays half-turned, face cloaked by a hood. Their bike…
- [What Gordon Parks Saw](https://www.theblkgze.com/essays/what-gordon-parks-saw.md) - Look closely at this photograph. Let your eyes stay with it, and ask yourself, "What am I really seeing?" Look again. Not at the composition. Not just the lines, the posture, or the texture of the light. Look at the person. The face. The setting. Let your eyes linger. It could be a family moment. I…
- [Chester Higgins Jr.: Mastering the Black Gaze in Photography](https://www.theblkgze.com/masters/chester-higgins-jr-mastering-the-black-gaze-in-photography.md) - Introduction “I don't take pictures. I make them.” — Chester Higgins Jr. If you’ve ever struggled with how to honour your heritage while building a name in an industry that rarely sees you fully, Chester Higgins Jr. offers something rare: a map. Not the kind found in textbooks or career guides, but…
- [The Camera Means Nothing Without Your Vision](https://www.theblkgze.com/watch/the-camera-means-nothing-without-your-vision.md) - What separates a simple snapshot from a timeless photograph? Vision. In a captivating episode of The Black Shutter Podcast, legendary photographer Chester Higgins Jr. reveals how he channels the spirit within each photograph he captures. Higgins’ work is nothing short of iconic. He has photographed…
- [Documenting the ordinary](https://www.theblkgze.com/essays/documenting-the-ordinary.md) - Beyond the decisive moment A man stands beneath fluorescent lights in a New York subway station. His eyes are closed. One hand grips an electric guitar. A microphone hangs in front of his face. Behind him, a tiled mural depicts trees and open sky, transforming part of the station wall into an imagi…
- [The Soulful Shutter: Why the Best Black Photography Starts in the Gut](https://www.theblkgze.com/essays/the-soulful-shutter-why-the-best-black-photography-starts-in-the-gut.md) - Introduction: Beyond the Shutter Click There’s a moment, just before the shutter clicks, when everything aligns. Not technically, but spiritually. The light is soft. The subject exhales. The silence feels full. And the photographer knows. That’s the moment they shoot. Not because the settings are p…
- [Books Allies Can Read, Part Two: Photography and the Power of the Visual](https://www.theblkgze.com/books/books-allies-can-read-part-two-photography-and-the-power-of-the-visual.md) - In Part One, we shared 10 essential books to help allies grow in understanding and commitment to anti-racism. In this second instalment, we’re shifting the focus to photography and visual culture. Images shape how we see the world and how the world sees Black people. These books are for anyone curi…
- [10 Lessons Gordon Parks taught me about photography](https://www.theblkgze.com/lessons/10-lessons-gordon-parks-has-taught-me-about-photography.md) - The photograph that changed how I looked at photographs A woman stands in front of an American flag holding a mop and a broom. At first glance, the photograph appears straightforward. The woman looks directly at the camera. The flag fills the background. The cleaning tools are held upright like cer…
- [Books Allies Can Read, Part One: Understanding, Listening, and Learning](https://www.theblkgze.com/books/books-allies-can-read-part-one-understanding-listening-and-learning.md) - This is the first in a two-part reading list for allies. If you're here, chances are you're looking for ways to understand more, to do better, and to walk more closely in solidarity with Black communities. That starts with listening, deeply and honestly. The books in this list offer a foundation. T…
- [Whose Vision Gets Rewarded? Orientalism in Photography and the Erasure of Everyday Black Life](https://www.theblkgze.com/essays/whose-vision-gets-rewarded-orientalism-in-photography-and-the-erasure-of-everyday-black-life.md) - Introduction: The Gap Between Awards and Reality This photo that won won Environmental Photographer of the Year 2021 raises so many questions. 1: Why is the child sleeping in the sun? 2: Why is the child sleeping in an abandoned house? 3: Is it because the child is Black that the judges don't ask t…
- [Yanissa X](https://www.theblkgze.com/conversations/yanissa-x-q-and-a.md) - Yanissa X is a photographer whose work explores Black identity, representation and human connection. In this Q&A, she reflects on the Black gaze, creating images that challenge stereotypes, and the experiences that continue to shape her practice.
- [Henry Danner](https://www.theblkgze.com/conversations/henry-danner-q-and-a.md) - Henry Danner is a New York-based documentary photographer, visual storyteller and licensed social worker. In this Q&A, he reflects on photographing Black communities, reclaiming visual narratives, and the experiences that continue to shape his practice.
- [Jeff Boxill](https://www.theblkgze.com/conversations/jeff-boxill-q-and-a.md) - Brooklyn-based photographer Jeff Boxill documents the poetry of everyday life through lyrical monochrome photography. In this Q&A, he reflects on the Black gaze, observation and the everyday experiences that continue to shape his practice.
- [Brandon J. St. Jean](https://www.theblkgze.com/conversations/brandon-j-st-jean-q-and-a.md) - Brooklyn-based photographer Brandon J. St. Jean works across portraiture, editorial and live music photography. In this Q&A, he reflects on representing the diversity of Black life, creative influences and the experiences that shape his practice.
- [Ebuka Mordi](https://www.theblkgze.com/conversations/ebuka-mordi-q-and-a.md) - Nigerian portrait and fashion photographer Ebuka Mordi explores identity, creativity and visual storytelling through his work. In this Q&A, he reflects on the inspirations behind his practice and the experiences that continue to shape his photography.
- [Magno Daniel](https://www.theblkgze.com/conversations/magno-daniel-q-and-a.md) - Based in Luanda, Angola, Magno Daniel creates intimate photographs shaped by memory, place and everyday life. In this Q&A, he reflects on the Black gaze, self-perception and the experiences that continue to shape his understanding of photography.
- [Zaria Love](https://www.theblkgze.com/conversations/zaria-love-q-and-a.md) - Los Angeles-based photographer Zaria Love explores Black identity, emotion and self-expression through portraiture. In this Q&A, she reflects on the Black gaze, disability, and the experiences that continue to shape her photographic practice.
- [Vanessa Charlot](https://www.theblkgze.com/all/vanessa-charlot.md) - "To me, the ‘Black gaze’ is about shifting the visual power and narrative to, and through, the lens of Blackness. Having that awareness means working with the understanding that experiencing life in Black bodies, environments, forms and aesthetics is varied and complex, where the ‘white gaze’ may b…
- [Bria Woods](https://www.theblkgze.com/q-and-a/bria-woods.md) - "The Black gaze is home. It’s not foreign, it doesn’t trigger my need to survive and determine whether I’m safe, much like the White gaze does. The Black gaze is not trying to ask if I’m good enough or if I fit a certain mould. The Black gaze appreciates me for who I am." - Bria Woods How does the…
- [Charlene Duron](https://www.theblkgze.com/africa/charlene-duron.md) - "The Black gaze is an intuitive perspective laid out with the purpose of improving how the reality is staged. It matters to me since artists can, and will be able to, step into the world with all they’ve got. Inspiration and fearless story telling prevails." — Charlene Duron How does the Black gaze…
- [Zaki Grant](https://www.theblkgze.com/q-and-a/zaki-grant.md) - "The Black gaze has echoes of the male gaze. I do, however, think that as a Black man it is my duty to re-appropriate how White people see us and how we see ourselves." — Zaki Grant How does the Black gaze relate to your photography practice? It doesn’t. What do you want to say or address with your…
- [Kay Hickman](https://www.theblkgze.com/q-and-a/kay-hickman.md) - "The Black gaze is simply the perception of the Black person(s). It’s a view of the world from a voice that has long been silenced and as such, forces a target audience to engage true Blackness, dismantling the privileges in their perception." — Kay Hickman How does the Black gaze relate to your ph…
- [Halini Abebe](https://www.theblkgze.com/q-and-a/halini-abebe.md) - "The Black gaze means looking within, it means revisiting stories that were documented by the White folk when it comes to our own stories. I can give you Ethiopia, my own country, as an example. A lot of its history, including imagery has been written and photographed by White folk who missed the c…
- [Camille Fontaine](https://www.theblkgze.com/q-and-a/camille-fontaine.md) - "Whilst there is much similarity across the diaspora, not all Black experiences are the same and too often we are oversimplified as a community. The Black gaze is not monolithic and I interpret it as two things; firstly, it describes communicating the wealth of variety and lived experiences across…
- [Michael V. Louis](https://www.theblkgze.com/q-and-a/michael-v-louis.md) - "My point of view as a Black man dominated by white people. The way I see this world matters because the way it is has not been designed for me to fit in, or feel like I belong, or that I truly matter. The Black Gaze is about my point of view and narrative stopping traffic – it’s about Blacks recog…
- [Ola Adegoroye](https://www.theblkgze.com/q-and-a/ola-adegoroye.md) - "The Black gaze to me is seeing the world through the eyes of Black people, their experience, thoughts and interactions." — Ola Adegoroye How does the Black gaze relate to your photography practice? Living in a predominantly white town I have to force myself through my photography to be authentic a…
- [Tobi Sobowale](https://www.theblkgze.com/q-and-a/tobi-sobowale.md) - "The Black gaze to me is about unapologetically showing the world through your eyes. Whether it be capturing people, food or landscapes. It is an opportunity to tell your story, without narrowing its explanation in order to communicate its message to a particular audience. Black people are often ca…
- [Michael Esigbone](https://www.theblkgze.com/q-and-a/michael-esigbone.md) - "The Black gaze is a reminder that even though there isn’t so much recognition of Black photographers out there, there’s still appreciation of work done Black photographers. It matters because it shows people are watching, people love what you do , that gives you drive, that wants to keep you going…
- [Ash Sealy](https://www.theblkgze.com/q-and-a/ash-sealy.md) - "To me, the Black gaze is about redefining the stereotype often associated with a Black face. It is important to share my view despite adversity, as from those challenges comes opportunity and perspective." — Ash Seal How does the Black gaze relate to your photography practice? In essence, it drive…
- [Kester Onyemaechi](https://www.theblkgze.com/q-and-a/kester-onyemaechi.md) - "The Black gaze to me simply means being different. Everyday I see photographers and I go, “What goes on in the head of these guys?” I want that for me someday, I want people to wonder and crave how I think." — Kester Onyemaechi How does the Black gaze relate to your photography practice? I’ve alwa…
- [Jessica Bethel](https://www.theblkgze.com/q-and-a/jessica-bethel.md) - "The Black Gaze means seeing and feeling the very experience through the lens/eyes of the Black diaspora. Our gaze matters because we’ve been silenced for centuries in every aspect, medium, and intricate part of history across the globe. History is nothing without us, we are the blueprint." — Jessi…
- [Roxanne Munson](https://www.theblkgze.com/q-and-a/roxanne-munson.md) - "The Black gaze means to me being able to see myself and others who look like me fully. Unfiltered. Raw. Real. Beautiful. It matters because it helps me show up in the world fully and unapologetically as my Black self." — Roxanne Munson How does the Black gaze relate to your photography practice? I…
- [Joshua Drakes](https://www.theblkgze.com/q-and-a/joshua-drakes.md) - "To me, the Black gaze is to see Black culture through the eyes of black photographers. It matters as we often see the “White gaze” a lot in regards to Black culture and but when through a Black gaze, we can see the things missed, we can see more Blackness." — Joshua Drakes How does the Black gaze…
- [Kwame Koda](https://www.theblkgze.com/q-and-a/kwame-koda.md) - "To my understanding the Black gaze simply narrows down focus on Black artistes. I think it matters because it brings to light a different perspective of story telling from Black people, by Black people in a way that inspires and motivates Black excellence." — Kwame Koda How does the Black gaze rel…
- [Kim Vurzie](https://www.theblkgze.com/q-and-a/kim-vurzie.md) - "For me, it is a whole different world for Black creatives, reflecting the importance of art, how it represents our view of the world be it human behaviour, nature, etc, and the way it affects our lives as well. It matters because it gives me total control over how I choose to tell my stories." — K…
- [Dominique Terteweh](https://www.theblkgze.com/q-and-a/dominique-terteweh.md) - "The Black gaze is something that comes attached to a Black person when their experience has been exploited for the benefit other than Black people. My work appreciates the Black narratives that happens to shoot from the Black gaze. I don’t shoot only for the Black gaze, it’s just something that’s…
- [Chris Facey](https://www.theblkgze.com/q-and-a/chris-facey.md) - "To me it means seeing the world through the eyes and experience of Black men and women. It matters because Black men and women experiences have always been dismissed and disrespected in society and it needs to change." — Chris Facey How does the Black gaze relate to your photography practice? It h…
- [Aisha Bada](https://www.theblkgze.com/q-and-a/aisha-bada.md) - "The Black gaze means identifying Black people for who they are. It’s important because Black people are Black for a reason and they shouldn’t be looked at weirdly. Knowing who they are and treating them as humans is key." — Aisha Bada How does the Black gaze relate to your photography practice? I…
- [Tope Ajayi](https://www.theblkgze.com/q-and-a/tope-ajayi.md) - "The Black gaze is laying bare every element of existence and telling actual stories of what we feel about the world ourselves as Black people. It’s important to me because I get the opportunity to tell these stories too, through my lens." — Tope Ajayi How does the Black gaze relate to your photogr…
- [Julie Héron](https://www.theblkgze.com/q-and-a/julie-heron.md) - "We finally get to see the world through Black eyes. It is so important to have the point of view and perspective of people who are used to being photographed and not be the photographers." — Julie Héron How does the Black gaze relate to your photography practice? I am doing mostly travelling photo…
- [Darnell Temenu](https://www.theblkgze.com/q-and-a/darnell-temenu.md) - "The Black gaze means to express, inspire and create from your own unique point of view in the world, without any limitations or boundaries." — Darnell Temenu How does the Black gaze relate to your photography practice? Exploration is a huge part of my photography, I love to travel and document new…
- [Karis Beaumont](https://www.theblkgze.com/q-and-a/karis-beaumont.md) - "Being a photographer comes with responsibility, so for me the Black gaze means telling our stories without confusion or harm to our community. Intention is important." — Karis Beaumont How does the Black gaze relate to your photography practice? We’re all made and wired uniquely, which means our p…
- [Anselm Ebulue](https://www.theblkgze.com/q-and-a/anselm-ebulue.md) - "I see the Black gaze as an alternate or oppositional perspective and viewpoint on account of my/our own experiences and reality. But it also requires work. It requires a certain vigilance and an understanding that the dominant way of perceiving anything is often at the cost of Black people." — Ans…
- [Abigail Ekue](https://www.theblkgze.com/all/abigail-ekue.md) - "As a Black woman, everything I shoot is from the Black gaze but not exclusively FOR the Black gaze. When my work is viewed and provokes, it’s proof that the Black gaze doesn’t have to be ‘othered’. There’s art, there’s substance, there’s empathy, there’s skill, there’s passion, there’s the avant-g…
- [Ibarionex Perello](https://www.theblkgze.com/q-and-a/ibarionex-perello.md) - "For me, this involves taking ownership of how we see ourselves, especially through works of art (photography, writing, painting, music, etc). It’s about reclaiming how we choose to be identified, seen and related to." — Ibarionex Perello How does the Black gaze relate to your photography practice?…
- [Chin We](https://www.theblkgze.com/q-and-a/chin-we.md) - "The Black gaze means a celebration of Black perspectives in photography. It matters to me because Black is my identity." — Chin We How does the Black gaze relate to your photography practice? It relates to my photography practice because my work explores themes of black identity, representation, c…
- [Ayesha Kazim](https://www.theblkgze.com/all/ayesha-kazim.md) - "The Black gaze means taking ownership of the narrative and establishing a space for Black creatives to create and disseminate their own stories in anyway they so choose." — Ayesha Kazim How does the Black gaze relate to your photography practice? As a Black female photographer, my experience and n…
- [John Ferguson](https://www.theblkgze.com/all/john-ferguson.md) - "The term Black gaze signifies to me that I’m unapologetically Black… When one learns the Black gaze for themselves, they’re purposely allowing their presence to be seen, heard and challenged, with or without prejudice." — John Ferguson What does the Black gaze mean to you? We, as Black people are…
- [Dawn Hester](https://www.theblkgze.com/q-and-a/dawn-hester.md) - "To me the Black gaze is when people are surprised and/or shocked I’m not a wedding photographer. Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong being a wedding photographer but all Black photographers aren’t." — Dawn Hester How does the Black gaze relate to your photography practice? It really doesn’t.…
- [Karene-Isabelle Jean-Baptiste](https://www.theblkgze.com/q-and-a/karene-isabelle-jean-baptiste.md) - "It means looking at Black subjects with kindness, empathy and nuance. It means that as Black people we can be seen as we truly are and not with preconceived notions of who we are. It’s important because images are powerful. Whether we like it or not they oftentimes define the way that we perceive…
- [Chiyana Ankhrah](https://www.theblkgze.com/q-and-a/chiyana-ankhrah.md) - "To me, the Black gaze means to see and understand through Black eyes. To read and listen. To comprehend, not to respond. To see how we create, how we live, our day to day lives and experiences told through Black narratives and not interfered with by anyone else. It’s important to me because quite…
- [Rachel Seidu](https://www.theblkgze.com/q-and-a/rachel-seidu.md) - "For me the Black gaze means seeing and telling my own stories myself, changing the western perspectives of us. It matters because I live these stories. I am these stories. I am in the right place to tell them." — Rachel Seidu How does the Black gaze relate to your photography practice? The core of…
- [Dante Nicholas](https://www.theblkgze.com/q-and-a/dante-nicholas.md) - "We often hear about the issue of “the White gaze” and so I think of Black gaze as the answer to that. Just this year, we’ve started to see Black photographers like Kennedi Carter and AB+DM Studio shoot major magazine covers. This year. We’re JUST now seeing these firsts at Vogue, Vanity Fair, GQ.…
- [Wasi Daniju](https://www.theblkgze.com/q-and-a/wasi-daniju.md) - "To me, the Black gaze means exactly what it sounds like – seeing things from a Black point of view (which is not monolithic) and with regards to photography, in a way that attempts to shed as much as possible of the colonialism that is inherent to the practice. It matters because it’s vital we tel…
- [Taesirat Yusuf](https://www.theblkgze.com/q-and-a/taesirat-yusuf.md) - "The Black gaze to me means directing the focus of the world on to the Black creatives and showcasing the talents and versatility of Black creatives. It is important because there’s not enough representation of Black creatives and we need to start pushing out ourselves to the world." — Taesirat Yus…
- [Immaculata Abba](https://www.theblkgze.com/q-and-a/immaculata-abba.md) - "To me, the Black gaze is one of the many gazes on the margins of photography’s history so far and the margins of mainstream western art institutions. The Black gaze in particular is one that is also a vital means through which black people are able to represent our cultures and understandings of t…
- [Beresford Hodge](https://www.theblkgze.com/q-and-a/beresford-hodge.md) - "For the best part we all have the ability to look and not truly see. To engage others requires a platform, a means to open visual debate and hone our skills via collaboration, to think and act in the context of we and us and not me, myself and I. No one is the finished article, we are all a work i…
- [Jada Imani M](https://www.theblkgze.com/usa/jada-imani-m.md) - "The Black gaze is the way Black people see ourselves and the outside world. Because of the intersections within our community, this can vary based on gender, sexuality and skin tone. As a Black woman, I use my work to show viewers the various ways I see myself and my community." — Jada Imani M How…
- [Julien James](https://www.theblkgze.com/q-and-a/julien-james.md) - "To simply put it, the Black gaze is a perspective. It’s the manner in which Black people globally see and perceive their day to day life, their community, and the world at large. Perspectives, in general, are critical for painting a more complete picture. The Black perspective is one that has glob…
- [Jennifer Thompson](https://www.theblkgze.com/q-and-a/jennifer-thompson.md) - "The Black gaze means positive representation and progress. As a person of colour I find we do not get many opportunities for representation in the art community that views us in a positive way. Platforms like #TheBLKGZE are vital to the progress of Black creators and positive representation of who…
- [Schaun Champion](https://www.theblkgze.com/q-and-a/schaun-champion.md) - "My experience of being a black female photographer has been mixed with discouragement from lack of representation, lack of opportunity, fighting for equal pay as well as recent interest in the way we capture black skin and document our own existence." — Schaun Champion What does the Black gaze mea…
- [Elsie Kibue-Ngare](https://www.theblkgze.com/conversations/elsie-kibue-ngare-q-and-a.md) - Kenyan-born photographer Elsie Kibue-Ngare is based in London, where she works across portraiture, documentary, sport and events. In this Q&A, she discusses the influences behind her practice, her documentary approach and the experiences that shape her photography.
- [Robert N. Jones](https://www.theblkgze.com/conversations/robert-n-jones-q-and-a.md) - Originally from Illinois, Robert N. Jones is a photographer based in the American Southwest whose work explores people, place and community. In this Q&A, he reflects on the Black gaze, lived experience and the ideas that continue to shape his photographic practice.
- [Sandra Harper](https://www.theblkgze.com/conversations/sandra-harper-q-and-a.md) - Sandra Harper's photography is rooted in family, memory and lived experience. In this Q&A, she reflects on the influences that have shaped her practice, the challenges of working as a Black photographer, and her ongoing exploration of Garifuna ancestry.

## Optional
- [RSS Feed](https://www.theblkgze.com/rss/)
- [Sitemap](https://www.theblkgze.com/sitemap.xml)
- [Full content of pages and posts](https://www.theblkgze.com/llms-full.txt)