Black in Black & White

by Abigail Ekue

In this month’s Photographers to Watch profile, we’re honored to present the work of Abigail Ekue, a New York–based photographer whose long-term project Black in Black & White offers a powerful examination of Black identity, visibility, and creative expression. Over four years, Ekue photographed a wide community of Black writers, musicians, actors, and other creatives, using a stark white backdrop and available indoor light to strip each portrait to its essentials. The simplicity of the setup draws attention to her subjects’ chosen clothing, hairstyles, tattoos, and symbols—markers of individuality that speak to both personal narrative and collective experience.

As the project unfolded, it evolved far beyond its original concept as a Black History Month portrait series. Against the backdrop of the pandemic and the killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery, many sessions became moments of introspection, resistance, and declaration. In the portrait The Right Shot, music producer Chris Rob wears a shirt urging, “Shoot Films Not People,” while actor and singer Ladi appears in a branded face mask, an image now emblematic of the disorienting era in which these portraits were made. Through these moments, Ekue asks viewers to consider who shapes Black representation and what it means for individuals to claim authorship of their own image.

The resulting body of work, which culminated in a 2024 solo exhibition, stands as a living visual archive of Black creative life at a charged moment in American history. Ekue continues to expand the project into new “chapters,” including forthcoming editions focused on wrestling and Hollywood. Together, these evolving strands form a portrait not only of artists, but of a cultural lineage—one grounded in self-definition, resilience, and the quiet power of being seen on one’s own terms.