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Nadine Ijewere Walks Vogue Through Her Brilliant Solo Exhibition • Photo Gallery
The trailblazing photographer—who became the first Black woman to shoot a Vogue cover in the magazine’s global history—has established herself as one of the most influential creative voices in modern times. Below, Ijewere shares the story behind her exhibition Beautiful Disruption, her devotion to amplify the impact of representation and explains the key importance of creating spaces for the youth.
Whatever you do, don’t try and categorise the art of Nadine Ijewere. It’s not a thing that can be tick-boxed and neatly filed away. From her practice that pulls at your heartstrings with its delicate portrayal of human emotions, to her powerful and important depiction of inclusivity, Ijewere—who is half Jamaican and half Nigerian—gives new hope to her generation, allowing it to embrace “beauty in all its facets.” And it manifests. “This phrase is perfect to me because of the way that I translate beauty,” she says. “Beauty goes far beyond the physical aesthetic. I find beauty in the bonds, relationships and energy shared by people. I find beauty in culture, in the way we can approach a similar thing in a different way, based on our cultural upbringing, which is fascinating.”
The translation of personal narratives into inclusion is heavily influenced by Ijewere’s mixed heritage—a reference powering into the viewer’s consciousness as seen in Tallawah, the 2020 series engaging with the expression of hair created alongside hairstylist Jawara Wauchope—which pits scenes of Black identity against white-washed social groundings. “I’ve always said how much I’m inspired by the personality and energy of the people I work with,” she freely admits. “I adore the physical attributes, but when combined with the above something special happens. I love working with groups, families, siblings and friends because it gives me the chance to capture the nonphysical element of beauty. That being said, diversity is the pinnacle of my work, likewise fighting and showcasing the people that have not been represented in the industry for so long. Black people are beautiful in so many ways, and I will continue to show that in my work. Respectfully, I also show the beauty of the people from other cultures and backgrounds that aren’t represented enough. For so long there has been one ideology of what is beautiful and it's simply not realistic.”
The upshot of her techniques is that Ijewere is able to convey profound intimacy within her photographs. Stare at them awhile, and you might start transposing your gaze to a booming, Black-tinged dreamscape—one filled with boundless representation—without the strain of creating for any prescriptive outcome. In other words, it’s liberating. “I try to reach a level of comfort with the people that I shoot organically,” she says. “This way any tension or pressure is released, and the movement can flow.”
Ijewere, who became the first Black woman to shoot the cover of any Vogue in the magazine’s 127-year global history, has landed her first solo exhibition at C/O Berlin—which features roughly 80 images and three films—a space dedicated to champion contemporary visual culture. Always one to delve into research and absorb aspects of culture otherwise forgotten by fashion, she was inspired by the power of universal stories in order to transcend societal constructs. Painting a picture of her early childhood spent growing up amidst a melting pot of contrasting cultural dynamics, her art is perfectly in tune with the 21st century individual, giving it a global appeal.
Her persuasive advocacy reckons with the challenges fashion is grappling with, and it’s no surprise her multicultural view unfolds a conversation that is as imperative as ever. “I photograph beautiful Black people. Beautiful Black families. Beautiful people of colour from different backgrounds. This to me is a beautiful disruption. One day I hope this will no longer be seen as ‘disruption.’ For people of colour to be present, why must something have to be disrupted? Instead of kicking down doors one would hope the doors won’t exist in the future, so we’ll all feel welcome.”
It's a long, long journey to understand the complexity of a marginalised group—though there seems to be a drastic upturn in representation—but the dualism of Ijewere’s roots is part of the process that helped her bring this exhibit to fruition. “An important journey for me was going to both Nigeria and Jamaica,” she explains. “One similarity I found on my many trips to these places was a strong sense of community, a warm welcoming energy. I embody this positivity and togetherness in my work because it’s beautiful to see this type of love. It’s also important to continue to chip away at the stereotypes that have been constructed over time. For a long time, Black people have been put down by the media. I think it’s important for people to gather their own point of view from real experiences.”
The series, which comprises a plethora of feel-good compositions, provides a snapshot into the somewhat cloistered past of subcultures that roamed through a state of freedom. Armed with rolls of film—used in an era in which photography is digital, appearing more often than not as part of an online newsfeed—Ijewere pulls no punches when it comes to talking about the importance of enveloping stories of identity and inclusion. “I grew up wanting to see more people that looked like me photographed beautifully,” she says. “On the cover of magazines, in the window of stores, just celebrated overall. I also grew up wondering why fashion wasn’t really inclusive of others, when evidently the consumer base is diverse. Before I never felt like I had a responsibility to share my stories, I just wanted to make beautiful imagery celebrating unrepresented backgrounds including my own. I actually feel like it’s the world's duty to welcome diversity, which is happening…finally.”
As she advances in her career, Ijewere understands that what she shares is encouraging young Black people. “It’s bringing joy to people from backgrounds that have never felt seen,” she says. “[My work] is about celebrating our differences. If a young Black girl can look at one of my images and feel happy about herself, that’s a duty I’m honoured to have. I know a vast majority of Black women who have grown up seeing the majority of fashion and beauty publications and advertising featuring Caucasian models with straight hair and feel that they weren’t beautiful because they didn’t look the same, because their hair was different. On the rare occasion that they would see a Black model, the features of the model, particularly their hair, were that which still conformed to this European standard of beauty. I'm glad this is becoming a thing of the past.”
It's fitting then, that the next aspect poses a question on feelings when capturing Black subjects. “For such a long-time imagery has been used to demonise and cultivate restrictive connotations about Black people. The standard of beauty hasn’t included Black skin and Black hair. When capturing a Black subject, it’s important to me to celebrate everything beautiful about being Black. Beautiful skin, beautiful hair, beautiful features and beautiful energy. It's important to me that the MUA knows how to work with Black skin and the hair stylist knows how to work with Black hair. The lighting has to complement the skin tones.”
Ijewere gives a lot to us as an artist: extraordinary imagery, the transcendental combination of multiculturalism and beauty galore, and, of course, a profound subtext in which lies her perspective on what can the industry do to tackle diversity in front and behind the lens. “An effective way of tackling this is not having a couple of token people that tick the inclusivity box,” she says. “While it’s amazing to finally have inclusivity in the industry, there are many different talented people of colour that have different stories to tell, and we need to hear what they have to say too. The inclusivity of women of colour in the industry is also something that needs a much closer look at. The industry has been male dominated for so long and continues to be even to this day. Which has always surprised me because women make up a majority of fashion consumers.”
And unbeknownst to many, simmering in the underbelly of her vision is a precious advice that echoes to young Black creators. “To the young Black photographers out there, you are welcome-there is space for you!” she exclaims. “Your story is important so don’t give up on your dreams, keep pushing. Every part of your journey is important, don’t forget to take stock. Take a moment to appreciate yourself and the people around you. The people around you are an essential part of your journey, you are just one link in the chain.”
A profound sentiment bestowed by the connection between the breadth of her work and society. “Simply, I just want people to realise that beauty comes in many different shades, shapes and forms. I shoot people of all different backgrounds, for we are all beautiful and important. I also want people to have a positive feeling when they view this exhibition.”
As for the future? “I hope for an even playing field.” And just like her, I very much hope the same.
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Tickets for Beautiful Disruption are available for purchase at co-berlin.org. For more information about the photographer’s work, visit her website here.