MMMXXX: The Year of Aesthetic Restoration by Avory W.E.B. Dubois’ “double consciousness,” and Toni Morrison’s “the white gaze” informs us of the overarching powers at play, the inescapable reality that one’s own black personhood is imperceivable without the lens of whiteness. But in an afrofuturist reality, is there a such thing as blackness outside of its inherent binary? In this series, I envisioned a future where the black aesthetic can free itself from the bondage of white constructions (i.e., gender, race, beauty). A visual space that allows for the ungendering of bodies, a total reconstruction of how we view the black experience. To that end, the goal of this project isn’t to refigure the black aesthetic, but rather to restore it from the bruising of the “white gaze”, to reclaim its power, and to guide us to liberation. Shot on both film and digital. Creative Direction: @avoryfemme Photographer: @malik.dupree Models: @avoryfemme @lonaoui Stylist: @isaiahdorty Pieces From: @ab.adprojects MUA: @avoryfemme Hairstylist: @brownsugarkiss Set Manager: @lilahbeldner Studio Assistant: @sp4cejam_ #happyjuneteenth