Kim Vurzie
“For me, it is a whole different world for Black creatives, reflecting the importance of art, how it represents our view of the world be it human behaviour, nature, etc, and the way it affects our lives as well.
It matters because it gives me total control over how I choose to tell my stories.”
How does the Black gaze relate to your photography practice?
My photography is a virtual representation of how I see people and nature co-exist every day. There’s always a beautiful story to tell, and that for me is Black gaze.
What do you want to say or address with your photography?
I want people to see the most mundane things from different perspectives, feel every emotion that comes with it and can tell their own stories from it too.
What influences and inspires you? How is this reflected in your work?
People, music, art, books, poetry. They make me feel alive, I’m always painting a picture in my head, thus bringing them to life through my work.
Who are your favourite Black photographers from the past? Why?
To be honest, most of my favourite black photographers are still living legends. But I’ll always look up to the likes of Gordon Parks and Roy DeCarava, their works are very unique and intriguing — they help me see the importance of photography and storytelling.
Please describe the highs and lows of your experience as a Black photographer?
The lows are greater than the highs. I just need better gear to be honest. Using just a mobile phone can be very limiting, but baby steps ay. 🙂
What work are you producing and what more would you like to do?
Currently, I’m working on a personal project – photographing people in their personal spaces. It has been amazing so far.
Kim Vurzie is a Nigerian wanna be poet and photographer with a very bright future ahead of her. Kim embraces the constraints of mobile photography to produce amazing images that exemplify the Black gaze.
Kim’s poem, ‘Twenty Twenty, a Rollercoaster’ opens with:
“There are words in my heart,
I want to spill like fire from a volcano,”
We look forward to Kim expressing those words visually.