Faybell Ma-Heé 1993

Curator: Nancy Andrews’ “Faybell Ma-Heé,” a striking black and white photograph taken in 1993, greets us with a subject adorned in distinct accessories. Editor: There’s something so poised about this photograph; a tangible presence, almost defiant. The composition is clean, yet that high contrast—very effective. Curator: It certainly speaks of a generation grappling with representation and identity. The adornments serve as outward signs. Her hands, heavy with rings, touching her neck almost as if she is embracing herself. Editor: I notice how the shadows play on the white wall—they add dimension, even a hint of unease. Speaking to the visual grammar, her skin tones are beautifully modulated against the stripped shirt and soft head wrap. Curator: The rings, glasses, nose ring, even the patterned fabric of the headwrap all operate like symbolic armor, suggesting not just self-adornment, but self-creation, or a constructed persona, to negotiate or push back against conventional portraiture. It reminds me of similar tactics employed within various communities of the African Diaspora. Editor: Yes, you are spot on! But I can also appreciate it simply on a formal level; the composition of tonal balance and visual elements, from dark shadows to mid-tones and clean whitespace. Curator: A stark monochromatic aesthetic brings an iconic gravity. Editor: Almost iconic, yes. A compelling testament to self-expression using visual rhetoric. Curator: A potent reminder of photography’s capability as an instrument to affirm one's narrative. Editor: Indeed, it encourages one to decode personal style as narrative language.