“I want the [Art History] conversation to be louder and amongst as many people as possible.”
—Awol ErizkuEthiopian-American artist Awol Erizku’s visual language centers around questions of identity and inclusion as well as the wealth of 'a global Afropolitan perspective.' Here, he documents the elaborate ways men style their hair into unique headdresses, each set against a striking red background. For the artist, photography becomes an uplifting means to celebrate the everyday creativity that articulates contemporary African social and cultural life. He understands that for beauty to be recognized in a museum, it must first be recognized in culture at large. In discussing the work of his contemporary predecessors, Erizku noted, 'The artists that came before me who are critiquing the system were and are only concerned about raising these issues and talking about them to other artists. As much as I find that interesting and necessary, it is far more important to me that the work is accessible to a larger audience—and that they come to see it.'
