Aphrod!te

Artist's Statement from Amira Brown:

"Aphrod!te is a series about reframing beauty. This project was birthed by a desire to unpack how we assess what is beautiful and what is art - I instantly thought of a bunch of beautiful people with unique, fearless, and authentic self-expression. Also inspired by the work of @chogiseok and Tyler Mitchell, I aimed to remix European-style portrait paintings, which have long been identified with classic beauty, by literally having hands holding up the frame and emphasizing the beauty inside. I wanted to break down every aspect of the painting, from my grandma’s quilt as the backdrop, to the energy and look that each model brought that personified them, AND to the positions of the hands and what it all communicated. Bringing culturally significant elements like MY grandma’s quilt was very important to connect that sense of home, classic, historical black culture, and belonging to the idea of redefining beauty. "

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Photography: Amira Brown

Creative Direction: Amira Brown

Produced by: Imani Celeste

Models: Dove Bardin, Evyn Banawoye, Zion Mabry, Jericho, Beverly Joseph