Black women in my community were always most iconic to me. Those who I admired, strived to be, and felt most connected to were the women living within a 10 mile radius of my home. Their beauty, compassion, and bold confidence are what shaped my view of what being a woman was supposed to be. 

 

Black women of all backgrounds still represent the experience of womanhood that feels most familiar to me. Through photography, I want to create art inspired by this.

 

This project in particular will focus on beauty.

 

More specifically, I will use a Black woman subject and create a scene. While the scene will not focus on beauty shots alone, I want there to be an underlying tone of glam. Each scene will portray a different moment of nostalgia. Each woman will have her own vibe/story. Bamboo hoops will be used as a symbol of beauty and the highlighted accessory in all of the photosets created. 

 

Why?

 

Growing up, every black and brown girl had a pair of bamboos and they wore them when they felt the most pretty. I hope to tell this story through creating a series of images that depict various black women sporting gold hoops in locations that feel familiar to the black experience. 

 

I want to use photography as the medium to tell my story. Execution of this project allows me to begin the journey of chronicling an experience that is familiar to my upbringing. An experience that feels so specific to me but is ultimately shared. 

 

Every black and brown girl had a pair of bamboos and I want the world to know that. 

 

Beauty. 

 

Black. 

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