Michael July / Fort Wayne Museum of Art Collection
If you’ve never visited the Northwest African Museum (NAAM) in Seattle, now might be the time to go—especially if you appreciate all things ‘fro. Afro, that is.
The museum is hosting AFROS: A Celebration of Natural Hair, a touring exhibit by Brooklyn-based artist and social documentarian, Michael July.
“Snapped during the height of New York’s simmering afro-chic scene, the photos represent the crème de la crème of the Afro hairstyle worn by people of different shades, ethnicities, nationalities, and ages. Conveying the power, beauty, and glorious nature of the ‘Fro, each image tells the deeper “hairstory” of each of its models,” the NAAM says.
The article goes on to say, “It was New Year’s Eve 2006 when Michael July first started documenting Afros; he explains, “I had an epiphany. At an Afro Punk party I noticed the most attractive young couple with large, perfectly rounded Afros. I wanted to shoot them so badly but was a bit hesitant because they were in such a playful zone that I was afraid I would interrupt it. Then out of nowhere they both looked at me and simultaneously asked ‘Aren’t you going to shoot us?’” After that encounter, July created a series of photos for a coffee table book to pay homage to the Afro from early days in America, to its roots in East Africa, and finally to the Afro renaissance that is sweeping the country today.”
Shamika Benn, actress/singer/dancer/choreographer. Michael July / Fort Wayne Museum of Art Collection
The exhibit runs from June 6 through September 8, 2014.
Northwest African American Museum
2300 S. Massachusetts Street, Seattle, WA 98144