The Black gaze has echoes of the male gaze. I do, however, think that as a Black man it is my duty to re-appropriate how White people see us and how we see ourselves.

The Black gaze is not monolithic and I interpret it as two things; firstly, it describes communicating the wealth of variety and lived experiences across the global African diaspora; secondly, it expresses the beauty of life, history and the world through the diverse perspectives within the diaspora.

The Black Gaze is about my point of view and narrative stopping traffic – it’s about Blacks recognising that we may be different shades of Black and Brown and yet, as a community feeling connected to each other as brothers and sisters.

The Black gaze to me is about unapologetically showing the world through your eyes. Whether it be capturing people, food or landscapes. It is an opportunity to tell your story, without narrowing its explanation in order to communicate its message to a particular audience.

The Black gaze to me is about unapologetically showing the world through your eyes. Whether it be capturing people, food or landscapes. It is an opportunity to tell your story, without narrowing its explanation in order to communicate its message to a particular audience.

To me, the Black gaze is about redefining the stereotype often associated with a Black face. It is important to share my view despite adversity, as from those challenges comes opportunity and perspective.

To me, the Black gaze is to see Black culture through the eyes of black photographers. It matters as we often see the “White gaze” a lot in regards to Black culture and but when through a Black gaze, we can see the things missed, we can see more Blackness.

The Black gaze to me is the unique exploration of Black identities and stories of Black families through the lens of Black artists. It’s having our lives observed, documented and disseminated by one of us, for all of us. It matters because without it certain aspects of our history will be lost forever.

The Black gaze means to express, inspire and create from your own unique point of view in the world, without any limitations or boundaries.

Being a photographer comes with responsibility, so for me the Black gaze means telling our stories without confusion or harm to our community. Intention is important.

I see the Black gaze as an alternate or oppositional perspective and viewpoint on account of my/our own experiences and reality.

The Black gaze means a celebration of Black perspectives in photography. It matters to me because Black is my identity.

The term Black gaze signifies to me that I’m unapologetically Black… When one learns the Black gaze for themselves, they’re purposely allowing their presence to be seen, heard and challenged, with or without prejudice.

To me, the Black gaze means to see and understand through Black eyes. To read and listen. To comprehend, not to respond. To see how we create, how we live, our day to day lives and experiences told through Black narratives and not interfered with by anyone else.

To me, the Black gaze means exactly what it sounds like – seeing things from a Black point of view (which is not monolithic) and with regards to photography, in a way that attempts to shed as much as possible of the colonialism that is inherent to the practice.