Chin We
“The Black gaze means a celebration of Black perspectives in photography. It matters to me because Black is my identity.”
How does the Black gaze relate to your photography practice?
It relates to my photography practice because my work explores themes of black identity, representation, culture, heritage and the African diaspora.
What do you want to say or address with your photography?
I want to address more of social and cultural identity. I love covering stories that showcase less reported aspects of Black culture and identity.
What influences and inspires you? How is this reflected in your work?
My heritage influences and inspires me. My heritage is Igbo and Nigerian. This is reflected in my work through the articulation of identity thorough photography and film.
Who are your favourite Black photographers from the past? Why?
My favourite Black photographers are Seydou Keita and Malick Sidibe. Their black and white images chronicling the lives and culture of the Malian capital Bamako in the wake of the country’s independence in 1960.
Please describe the highs and lows of your experience as a Black photographer?
The lows of my experience with Black photography is the [lack of] visibility of Black photographers in the UK.
The highs are that we are magic! We are visionaries! We are amazing!
What work are you producing and what more would you like to do?
I am working on a project titled “Sis” A visual series documenting our personal experiences and emotions during the coronavirus outbreak and lockdown. The impact of Coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak and lockdown is having a huge toll on our mental health and wellbeing causing us to feel anxious, stressed, worried and depressed.
Chin We is an award winning visual artist, curator and art making philosopher. Her work has been published on CNN and several other publications. She was featured on CNN as one of the leading African heroine women photographers, nominated for RPS 100 heroines by the Royal Photographic Society England and won an honourable mention award in the People-Portrait Category in International Photography Awards(IPA) 2018.
Chin We is also a known to have more moves than an Estate Agent.