13 Black Gen Z photographers redefining the Black experience

February is Black History Month, where we honor the extraordinary contributions Black Americans have made to this country and remember that Black history is American history. Throughout the next month, Very Good Light will be sharing a series of stories that aim to put a spotlight on the Black American experience. From young Black activists fighting for equality to artists and creators rewriting their narrative in America’s history books, we’re telling the stories that showcase Black excellence. This month, and every month after, we must continue to stand with Black Americans and fight for justice and equality for all.

Art influences society and culture by translating experiences across space and time.

As the recent emergence of a progressively inclusive community appeared in the arts sector, so has the rise of Black artists around the world. Internationally, Black creators have authored a new era of inclusion through their projects reevaluating representation, beauty, identity, and more. Recently, a new wave of talent has shaken up the art world and redefining what it means to be an artist: Black Gen Z photographers.

Through raw talent and the urge to dissipate the institutional barriers that have been previously set forth for Black artists, these photographers are the cultivators of change that are recontextualizing Blackness in America and around the world.

In America, the need for contemporary representation is needed now more than ever. However, though the work is far from over, this new wave of Black Gen-Z photographers have fostered a new vocabulary of visual literacy in America. A vocabulary filled with the richness of Black excellence, Black joy, Black beauty, and love. Continue scrolling to check out these 13 Black Gen-Z photographers that are making history with every click of their shutter.