In the heart of Brooklyn, artist Laylah Amatullah Barrayn is being celebrated for her profound ability to capture the essence of everyday Black life. She has received a Brooklyn Arts Award, an honor that recognizes her unique perspective and dedication to preserving collective memory through her powerful photography.
Seeing the Unseen: Photography as Storytelling
Barrayn’s work goes beyond mere documentation; she sees the spirits, celebrates sacrifices, and infuses dignity into labor and everyday moments. Her lens captures the sweetness in exhaustion, the vibrancy of community, and the deep roots of collective memory. In an era where digital disruption, algorithms, and censorship threaten to obscure history, her commitment to preserving these narratives feels more crucial than ever.
She views photography not as an objective recording, but as a subjective art form. “When we look at a photograph, it is someone’s perspective,” Barrayn explains. “It’s someone’s edit, it’s someone’s view and gaze, so there’s a bit of augmentation there of reality.” This understanding allows her to intentionally frame and highlight the experiences that are often overlooked or erased.
Fighting Erasure with Every Frame
Barrayn’s artistic urgency stems from a deep understanding of historical erasure. “As soon as we were brought to these shores, there was erasure almost immediately, the attempted erasure of identity names, customs, culture, memory,” she states. Her work is a direct response to this, an active effort to document and remember, ensuring that Black history and identity are preserved.
She describes the act of seeing and capturing as “writing with light,” a process that tells stories across continents. Her creative process involves deep listening, often editing in a darkroom while absorbing podcasts that keep her engaged and focused. This thoughtful approach ensures that her work is not only visually compelling but also rich with context and meaning.
Bridging Worlds: Art, Hip-Hop, and Community
Barrayn will be honored alongside Fab 5 Freddy, a figure who himself merged hip-hop culture with mainstream art institutions. This overlap is something Barrayn deeply connects with, recognizing how institutions like the Brooklyn Museum have embraced pop culture and hip-hop, expanding their reach and making art more accessible. She sees this cultural fusion as vital for strengthening arts communities.
As an educator at Rutgers, Barrayn continues to nurture the next generation of artists, encouraging their curiosity and technical development. Her own practice remains dynamic, always seeking to expand her skills and perspectives, embodying the continuous journey of growth and learning.
What do you admire most about Laylah Amatullah Barrayn’s work? Share your thoughts on the importance of documenting Black history and culture in the comments below!
