Deana Lawson's Photobooks Challenge Western Portraiture with Black Family Mythology

Deana Lawson, an American photographer, captures large-format color portraits that embody Black dignity and agency, frequently showcasing members of the Brooklyn community. Her artistry intertwines personal experiences with imaginative elements, exploring themes of family, love, and pride through a Black lens. Lawson's current initiative seeks to unite Black communities worldwide, with subjects photographed in places such as Haiti, Jamaica, Ghana, and Ethiopia. Her inaugural survey exhibition will debut at ICA Boston on 4 November and continue until 27 February, alongside a 2018 Aperture monograph and an upcoming MACK photobook. Lawson's creations engage with a historical tradition of Black portraiture from the mid-19th century, drawing on classical Western art influences while redefining modern Black aesthetics.