Hello Black Women Photographers ™ -
Hello Black Women Photographers ™ -
Dear BWP Grant Team,
Thank you for making it this far! I am writing to express my deep gratitude for the work you do in uplifting & showcasing the talent of Black women photographers worldwide. Your platform has not only provided exposure to incredible projects, but has also amplified the voices & perspectives of Black women, including those from Africa, which I have to say ... it’s something that has personally resonated with me as a woman of African Heritage.
Photography, for me, is more than an art form; it is my life’s mission. I believe in the power of visual storytelling, particularly in capturing people in their most natural, unguarded moments - laughing, connecting, simply living. However, my family being from Somalia, a predominantly Muslim country - it is traditionally frowned upon to entertain art that specifically includes faces. So as I’m sure you can deduce, my ironic passion for portrait photography has been met with resistance & some challenge. (I can see my mom shaking her head right now!)
[A little history lesson: Somalia is a nation of nomadic people who have preserved history through oral tradition rather than images, so much as not even having developed a written language until 1972. Although it being a complicated Cushitic language, it was decided to be written as simple as possible, utilizing the Latin alphabet with Arabic phonetics. Even my name, Caaisha (also known as Aisha [Eye-Sha]), follows this linguistic heritage.]
Because of long held traditions, it is incredibly rare to find photographs & drawings of Somalia prior to the civil war that engulfed my homeland from the 1980s onward. Although some vintage photos exist, they were mainly taken by colonizers & tourists. My people are satiated w/ a rich legacy of poems passed down through generations, but for me … that’s not enough. We barely have any visual history of our own, captured by our own. It is incredibly rare for a Somali photographer to document anything outside of the wildlife & awkwardly posed wedding/engagement photos. Luckily, I have seen perspectives shift within the diaspora in the last decade. People who once dismissed photography, now cherish the images of loved ones who have passed — photos of them not posing, but living, laughing & simply being. This is the gift I have given to so many over the years, using every camera I could afford to buy or rent.
One of my greatest dreams is to travel to Somalia & Kenya, capturing portraits of the locals, extended families & gifting these images to those eager to create records beyond poem & song. I envision starting in Mogadishu, moving through Hargeisa, then onto Nairobi, Mombasa, & beyond — documenting the faces of people whose images might otherwise never exist in history. With each photograph, I hope to contribute to a growing visual archive, preserving not just stories, but faces, emotions, & moments.
However, access to professional equipment remains a challenge, & I know that with the right tools, I could elevate my craft even further. Being granted photography equipment would not only improve the quality of my work, but also allow me to continue documenting my community, preserving our present for future generations - telling the untold visual stories of my people… but with more megapixels!
Thank you again for creating space for Black women photographers to thrive, no matter an amateur or professional. Your platform has shown the world the diversity & richness of our experiences, & I hope to see myself a part of this growing platform!
The Kindest of Regards,
Creations by Caaisha