Ursula Johnson on her photograph:
"With and an eye that bends toward the beauty and breadth of Blackness and a purposeful approach, I create vivid images that challenge the sentiment of those who claim they 'don’t see color.' This image was made on a bright spring afternoon. With sharp contrasts at play and a nearby tree as the backdrop, I lay on the ground to produce this photograph of Dae (the model) to showcase and symbolize Black gurl glory.
A Dae in the Life
(…of a Black Woman)
As a Black woman
working in, creating in,
and often occupying
predominantly white male spaces,
I know the barrenness of this world
can leave us disenchanted.
To me, this image depicts
the beauty that exists
when one decorates their soul
in spite of their circumstances.
It’s a reminder
that we don’t need permission
—and don’t have to wait for ideal conditions—
to bloom where we are planted."
