Existing comment:
RICHARD L. WILLIAMS
Claudette, Roman and Rashard – February 2021
Film photograph
Courtesy of the artist
ARTIST STATEMENT
My influence is drawn from my family, with a particular focus on my senior family members. As a child, I would oftentimes thumb through my parents' and grandparents' photo albums, and was awed as I followed them through their journey from adolescence to older adulthood. My goal is to highlight Black communities and communities of color and show the beauty in our variety -- that we are not monolithic.
I use my work to highlight the everyday contributions that Black folks provide. Whether I am capturing the first Black woman to be the owner of a community solar energy company or photographing my grandmother simply enjoying her Tuesday at home, I feel that it is necessary to show the multifaceted pieces of our existence. There is strength in our resilience, there is strength in our accomplishments, and there is also strength in our silence. I believe that it is my duty, and the duty of those who look like me, to be solely responsible for sharing our own stories, and I use my work to embody that. |