Redefining the Black Experience: Destinie Paige’s curatorial debut shares new visions of blackness

Written by Maya Campbell

On entering Photofusion’s main gallery space you are struck with a vibrant array of colours and deep red walls. Breaking away from the institutional white cube space, Destinie has created an intimate space that is a homage to the richness of the black jazz experience. Drawing on her background as a filmmaker, photographer and set designer, Black Bxy Joy pulsates with the cinematic beauty within Destinie’s own practice, and the collection of work opens up a playful dialogue about what it means to be young, gifted and black today. Comprised of photography, moving image, painting and sculpture, the space never feels static and has a wide conceptual scope: exploring the black queer experience, Afrofuturism and showcasing work from artists from across the UK and Philadelphia. When selecting artists to work with, Destinie was intentional about showcasing visions that weren’t just London-centric and instead chose work that aligned with her ethical and moral values,“it’s not that black trauma doesn’t exist, it does and it shouldn’t be hidden, but I felt there were ways we could show something more.”

Beyond Kiki Ball is Tolu Elusadé’s photographic reflection of a radical, queer community that has its roots in 1920's ballroom culture, originally an underground community that emerged in New York City during the Harlem Renaissance – ballroom is now an international movement and community that celebrates LGBTQ+ people of colour. An impromptu shoot, Tolu captures the whirlwind of energy at the balls, “a big part of queer culture is making space where you can authentically express yourself without fear of societies judgements and norms.” Describing black queerness as “a whole realm in itself”, Tolu’s images provide a glimpse into a community brought together by queerness, existing as a person of colour and endless creativity.

In contrast to the spontaneous ‘Beyond Kiki Ball’ series, artists like Karis Beaumont, Joshua Odulate and Ryan Prince use staging to meditate on style, culture and contribute to the lineage of using the studio space to stage bold, beautifully-lit portraits. Black Bxy Joy holds space for nuanced and intimate depictions of masculinity, in a society that all too often pushes black male identity into rigid boxes, these image-makers are taking control of their narrative using the power of photography and collaboration – you get the sense the people in these photographs aren’t just mere ‘subjects’ but friends, collaborators and peers. “Every artist involved is so different,” says Destinie, with Jamaican-British photographer Karis hailing from Hertfordshire, and archiving black life in Britain, beyond London, on her platform Bumpkin Files – Destinie collates the work of artists directly engaged in visual storytelling and subverting dominant narratives. “I chose to celebrate the beautiful side of black art and new visions of black experiences. I wanted to make it feel like a home.”

Throughout February the show became a hub for the artists involved and the wider community, with workshops and talks programmed, creating a space where the diaspora can go and feel seen, across genders, ethnicities and body types. “One of my main aims in the show was to provide positive role models for younger people to see themselves represented. The artists work became as precious to me as it was to them.” To bring her vision of the space to life, Destinie was awarded a Black Women’s artist grant from Ronan McKenzie’s HOME space, partnering with long-term collaborator Sarah Fletcher to design the experience, and working with Photofusion’s Engagement Manager Derek Wiafe who produced Blk Bxy Joy. Since it’s inception in 2019, Photofusion’s mentoring programme has seen mentee’s go on to be featured in GUAP magazine, The Photographer’s Gallery, and awarded commissions from Nike, The Welcome Collection and more – with the space situated in the cultural hub of Brixton, Destinie’s curatorial debut feels like a love letter to the rich legacy of black lives in Britain, while still not being confined to the Black British experience.

While growing up, my encounters with depictions of blackness I could relate to were few and far between: we absorb so many messages from the media we consume and the absence of representation can instil within us an innate feeling that we are not worthy of being seen. But the narrative has been changing, black creatives are using visual mediums to take back the reigns and show the multidimensionality of our lives, our joy, our capacity for love and tenderness. In Blk Bxy Joy, Destinie has brought together some of the most sensitive, cinematic image-makers and artists, whose unique evocations of blackness stay with you long after visiting.

Follow Destinie’s work here

Redefining the Black Experience: Destinie Paige’s curatorial debut shares new visions of blackness, subverting the dominant narratives of trauma