Discover "Black is Beautiful," the new exhibition at the Mougins Photography Center, in 4 powerful photos
The expression "Black is Beautiful" has entered common parlance, without anyone really asking who came up with it.
The answer can currently be found at the Centre de la photographie in Mougins, where, for the first time in Europe, an exhibition is being devoted to the work of Kwame Brathwaite (1938-2023).
Today, the phrase is sometimes misused and reduced to a kind of advertising message. But in the mid-1950s, the photographer and his older brother, Elombe Brath, inspired by the ideas of Marcus Garvey, a precursor of Pan-Africanism, combined aesthetic research and political activism in New York, between Harlem and the Bronx.
"My father started by documenting the jazz concerts he attended. My uncle, on the other hand, was a speaker. He was interested in what was happening in several African countries and had a vision of what could be done," summarizes his son, Kwame Brathwaite Jr., who came for the opening of the exhibition in Mougins. Through the African Jazz-Art Society & Studios collective, and then the Grandassa Models movement, the two brothers contributed to the struggle of Black people for civil rights. In particular, they took advantage of Garvey Day to organize beauty contests, where women were dressed in traditional African outfits, adorned with symbolic jewelry, and sported natural haircuts.
"It was revolutionary for the time. But my uncle and father were still struck by one observation: the next day, these women still had to straighten their hair to be allowed to do their jobs."
Miles Davis hitting a punching bag in a gym, Bob Marley immortalized shortly before his international breakthrough.
But also BB King, Michael Jackson, Earth, Wind & Fire, Grace Jones or Stevie Wonder at different stages of his incredible career ( "my father even took photos of his daughter after giving birth, but they always remained private" , says Kwame Brathwaite Jr.).
Whether it was promotional shots, features for Blues & Soul magazine, album covers, or concert photos, Kwame Brathwaite never lost his common thread. "All these artists had embraced the idea of Black is Beautiful and were spreading it around the world."
By founding the Ajass (African Jazz-Art Society & Studios) collective with his brother Elombe Brath (seated center) in 1956, Kwame Brathwaite (fourth from left) created a space for artistic, musical, and photographic production that redefining the aesthetic canons of Black beauty.
Kwame Brathwaite hasn't shot many sporting events. That didn't stop him from being present at one of the most legendary events of all time: The Rumble in the Jungle, the boxing match between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman on October 30, 1974, in Kinshasa, Zaire.
"Ali's main photographer had asked my father to work in tandem, and he was to take care of the alternate angles," explains Kwame Brathwaite Jr., who explains how the connection with the boxing giant was established.
"My uncle didn't like the comments Ali made about Sonny Liston, one of his great rivals. He wrote to him, and Ali read the letter. Then, when they met, my uncle and my father became his friends."
>> Open until October 5th at the Mougins Photography Center. Every day except Tuesday, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. €6, reduced rate €3. Free for everyone on the first Sunday of the month, and for students, the unemployed, people with disabilities, etc. the rest of the year. Information: centrephotographiemougins.com
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