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19th Ave New York, NY 95822, USA
Come to Selfhood
by Joshua Rashaad McFadden

Project Statement:

How does one begin to challenge the misguided perceptions that decrease the quality of living for young African American men? Furthermore, how does the African American man position himself in a society that does not acknowledge his true identity? African American men and stories of their positive intersecting identities are not being acknowledged in forums that allow these positive images to become a part of the dominant narrative on African American men.

Come to Selfhood explores African American male identity, masculinity, notions of the father figure and the photographic archive, by providing a frame of reference that visually articulates the numerous identities of young Black men. By delving into ideas of history, role models and varied experiences, Come to Selfhood makes the previously invisible Black man, accurately and meaningfully visible.

Artist Bio:

Internationally recognized, award-winning artist and author Joshua Rashaad McFadden is originally from Rochester, New York. He began to make photographs as a fine art practice during his undergraduate years at Elizabeth City State University in North Carolina.

McFadden continued to develop his photography, eventually attending Savannah College of Art and Design, where he obtained his Master of Fine Art. McFadden combines his passion for the arts with his passion for civil and human rights. Uprisings across America are constant because of multiple recent incidents of police brutality and the murders of African-American men and women. The result is his series, After Selma. Since its release in April 2015, After Selma has made a global impact. McFadden was named one of the top emerging talents in the world by LensCulture and received the first-place International Photography Award (IPA, 2015) for After Selma. He won the first-place IPA award again in 2016 for his series and book, Come to Selfhood. McFadden has since been published by EyesOpen! Magazine, Slate and The New York Times. In 2017, McFadden was recognized by TIME as one of “12 African American Photographers You Should Follow Right Now.”

joshuarashaad.com