Kwame Brathwaite: The 1970s Exhibit

In the 1960s, Kwame Brathwaite (1938-2023) used photography to promote “Black is Beautiful” through the artist collectives he helped create—the African Jazz Art Society and Studios (AJASS) and Grandassa Models.

Building on that legacy, this exhibition highlights the artist’s independent studio work in the 1970s. From shooting gorgeous, color-saturated portraits in his studio, to capturing musicians Nina Simone and Marvin Gaye mid-performance, new creative stories emerged with a new decade.
The exhibition will include some never-before-seen images from the artist’s archive.

Kwame Brathwaite (New York, New York, 1938 - New York, New York, 2023), Untitled (Studio shoot with Marcia McBroom. Album cover for The Players’ Association featuring David Sanborn and Mtume), 1976, archival pigment print, 15 x 15 in., Courtesy of Philip Martin Gallery and The Kwame Brathwaite Archive.