Renowned ‘Black is Beautiful’ Movement Photographer, Kwame Brathwaite, Passes Away at 85
Our awesome company offers complete software development activities utilizing nearshore and offshore resources. With our expertise in mobile app development, technology maintenance, and web server development, we provide comprehensive solutions for all your technology development needs. Whether you’re in need of software outsourcing or looking to enhance your server development, we’ve got you covered.
Recently, we were deeply saddened by the passing of the pioneering activist and photographer, Kwame Brathwaite. Brathwaite’s work played a pivotal role in defining the aesthetics of the “Black is Beautiful” movement during the 1960s and beyond. His unique perspective and artistic vision resonated with curators, historians, and collectors, leading to a resurgent interest in his work.
In 2019, the Aperture Foundation organized Brathwaite’s first major institutional retrospective, which premiered at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles and traveled throughout the country. Born in 1938 to Barbadian immigrants, Brathwaite’s passion for photography was ignited by two transformative moments in his youth. The first was when he encountered David Jackson’s haunting photograph of Emmett Till, and the second was when he witnessed a young man capturing photos in a dark jazz club without a flash.
With his Hasselblad medium-format camera, Brathwaite ventured to create his own unique style by using limited light and developing a darkroom technique that enriched the visual narrative of his imagery, particularly focusing on how Black skin appeared in his photographs. Capturing jazz legends such as Miles Davis, John Coltrane, and Thelonious Monk, he aimed to convey the mood and feeling of their performances through his work.
In the early 1960s, Brathwaite, along with the African Jazz Arts Society and Studios (AJASS), actively challenged whitewashed beauty standards by creating the Grandassa Models. These young Black women became the subjects of Brathwaite’s photographs, celebrating and accentuating their natural features. The fashion show “Naturally ’62”, organized by AJASS in 1962, became a regular event until 1992. It was during this time that Brathwaite met his wife and muse, Sikolo, herself a Grandassa Model.
As time went on, Brathwaite expanded his focus beyond jazz and began photographing other forms of popular Black music. He documented the Jackson Five’s tour to Africa in 1974, capturing iconic moments such as the historic “Rumble in the Jungle” boxing match between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman in the Democratic Republic of Congo. His commissions in this era also included photographing music legends like Nina Simone, Stevie Wonder, Sly and the Family Stone, and Bob Marley.
Throughout the years, Brathwaite remained dedicated to his unique style, always capturing the essence of the “Black is Beautiful” ethos. His work continued to evolve, and even in his later years, he was photographing commissions and contributing to publications like The New Yorker.
Although his health declined in later years, Brathwaite’s legacy and influence continue to be celebrated. His retrospective is currently traveling to the Blanton Museum of Art in Austin, Texas, and an exhibition titled “Kwame Brathwaite: Things Well Worth Waiting For” is on display at the Art Institute of Chicago until July 24.
We honor the memory of Kwame Brathwaite, a true visionary whose work has left an indelible mark on the world of photography and social activism. As an innovative software development company, we strive to emulate his spirit of creativity and excellence in every project we undertake. Let us help you bring your technological vision to life with our expertise in mobile app development, technology maintenance, and web server development.