A report from The Times of London.
An exhibition showcases black narratives that have contributed to British history
After moving to London from Jamaica in the Fifties, Armet Francis grappled with a sense of displacement and political alienation that profoundly shaped his life. Turning to photography, he sought to bridge the cultural gap and share his longing to connect with a wider heritage.
Over his 40-year photographic journey, Francis has encapsulated the diverse experiences of African diasporic communities. His images cover aspects of black experience, from the joy and playfulness of colourful fashion shoots to poignant and important images of protest and struggle.
He developed his concept of The Black Triangle in 1969 as a guiding priciple for his work, explaining that: “The triangle first came to me in thoughts of the slave trade route, that is how I came to live in the triangle: Africa, the Americas and Europe … I had to capture it through my camera, through my work … A man reacting to his destiny.”
This year Autograph, a visual arts organisation, celebrates 35 years of championing photography that explores themes of race, identity, representation, human rights, and social justice with an exhibition of Francis’s work.
Armet Francis: Beyond the Black Triangle is at Autograph’s gallery in Shoreditch, London until January 20, 2024. Free entry
Notting Hill Carnival attendees set up a sound system, 1968
An example of one of Francis’s playful fashion shoots of the 1970s
Inside a black church in London, 1980
Bob Marley, 1960s
Sam King, a member of the Windrush generation. In 2008 Francis undertook a project to gather portraits of those who arrived on the Empire Windrush
Ian Hall, a Guyanese-born British musician and human rights activist, 1974. Hall was dedicated to promoting racial harmony through music
A splash of bright fashion in Brixton Market, 1973
From the series Lambeth and Brixton Tube, 1994
Angela Davis, the American political activist and academic, speaking at Keskidee Centre, 1974. The centre was the first arts centre in Britain for the black community
A report from The Times of London. An exhibition showcases black narratives that have contributed to British history After moving to London from Jamaica in the Fifties, Armet Francis grappled with a sense of displacement and political alienation that profoundly shaped his life. Turning to photography, he sought to bridge the cultural gap and share
