Ancestor spirit Portraits
I Was Here features a set of emblematic Ancestor Spirit Portraits created by photographing contemporary African Americans as archetypal Ancestor Spirits. The portraits embody Family: mother, father, brother, sister. They form cohesive, ethereal images that convey the dignity of the African American individual and family–imagery that is mostly missing in America’s visual history.
There are no signatures on any of the pieces, only the thumbprints of the original models, artist, photographer, and writer. We are grateful to the open minds, open hearts, and the brilliant, far-reaching technologies that partner with us.
Click on each piece for a closer look.
a handsome woman hurricane winds
a lovesome people
a twisting cell of outstretched arms
lightning touches the ground
then she comes to be
fathers sew their own eyes shut
outstretched arms
their easy on the eyes hearts
cataclysmic, leaf by leaf
i was here
in every public square
black skin could not take off running
jocko and juju go colorblind
i am calling your name
don't forget me benna
boy and girl fruit
hope ground into a powder
today we stand as one
his monsoon begins
dust in the shape of a son
beloveds, low tide
high tide goodbye lovey
amina grows wings
a red-blooded tribe
