Black Masculinities

• Broad spectrum and diversity of Black masculinities • Deconstruction of common mechanisms of representation • Works by 22 BPoC photographers

Black Masculinities explores the broad spectrum and diversity of Black masculinities through the medium of contemporary photography. Seen through the lenses of 22 Black (or) People of Color (BPoC) from around the world, the stereotypic entanglement of Black identity and masculinity is deconstructed and charged with a new set of values. Embedded in a long history of slavery, racism and oppression, the topos of Black masculinity continues to be subtly represented as aggressive, hypersexual and violent to this day. This richly illustrated book breaks down and visualizes the common mechanisms of representation in visual culture through carefully edited images and a textual contextualization. It acts as an introductory index and platform for BPoC photographers, who have been underrepresented at all levels of art production since the beginnings of photography, and makes their work visible. For all of us.

FEATURED PHOTOGRAPHERS: Kemka Ajoku, Kwaku Alston, Namafu Amutse, Eric Asamoah, Nuits Balnéaires, Arielle Bobb-Willis, Braylen Dion, Kofi Duah, Yannis Davy Guibinga, Jabari Jacobs, Kelvin Konadu, Jude Lartey, Naomi Mukadi, Maganga Mwagogo, Lakin Ogunbanwo, Ruby Okoro, Rogers Ouma, Micha Serraf, Ngadi Smart, Isaac West, Jozef Wright, Ussi'n Yala

JOSHUA AMISSAH (*1995, Switzerland) studied fine arts, photography, and design at the Zurich University of the Arts. He works as a designer, (photo)editor, art educator and curator at the intersection of image and text. From 2019 2022 he was co-curator of photoSCHWEIZ and was the main curator of the Black Art Matters exhibition in this role in 2020. He lives and works between Berlin and Zurich.

»Black Masculinities is a collection that prioritises community-building and empowerment. It recognises a diverse range of identities, acknowledging there is no singular definition or experience of being a Black man. «