D'Angelo Lovell Williams facts for kids
D'Angelo Lovell Williams (born 1992) is an American photographer. They live in Brooklyn, New York. Williams creates art that explores the lives and experiences of Black people, especially focusing on their identities and relationships. In 2022, their book Contact High was published.
Early Life and Learning
Williams was born in Jackson, Mississippi. They studied photography in college. In 2015, they earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degree from Memphis College of Art in Memphis, Tennessee. Later, in 2018, they received a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree in art photography from Syracuse University in Syracuse, New York. Williams also attended the Skowhegan School of Art in 2018.
About Their Art and Work
D'Angelo Lovell Williams is a Black artist who uses photography to show deep connections and relationships.
Their art was part of an important exhibition in 2020 called Young Gifted and Black: A New Generation of Artists. This show featured new artists and was held at Lehman College.
One of Williams's photo series is called Papa Don't Preach. This series shows portraits of Black people connecting closely. A writer for Musée Magazine, Maia Rae Bachman, said these photos explore "feelings of closeness through kinship." She also wrote:
"Williams takes pictures of their body in different places, both at home and in public. Their series creates a special space where Black people can think about past and present challenges. With many different poses and subjects, they show a place for Black people to explore their identities. Often, their stories have been told by others, but Williams helps them tell their own."
The book Contact High, published in 2022, looks at Black communities that Williams feels connected to. Williams themselves appears in most of the photos, along with other people. Ravi Ghosh, writing for i-D, noted that in these photos, "a few clear things stand out: many different full-body poses, a connection to nature and plants, and a feeling of self-discovery. D'Angelo's steady gaze into the camera becomes the main feature of this collection." Marigold Warner wrote in the British Journal of Photography that:
"the images have many layers of meaning about identity, Blackness, gender, history, and Williams's own life. These opposite ideas appear throughout Williams's images: closeness and distance; strength and gentleness; order and freedom; joy and sadness." Williams explained, "Many of our stories as Black people have not been our own, and that's what I wanted to show."
Solo Exhibitions
- Only In America, Higher Pictures Generation, New York, 2017
- Papa Don't Preach, Higher Pictures Generation, New York, 2020
