#afropunkweseeyou shaniqwa jarvis

Her photographs are authentic and pure which squarely puts the focus on the subject. Shaniqwa’s eye seemingly peers right into the soul of the individual she is photographing.

Name: Shaniqwa Jarvis
Occupation: Artist
Star Sign: Pisces
Follow: @sheekswinsalways

What was it like shooting at AFROPUNK ATL?
It was my first time at AFROPUNK and was very enamored by the energy everyone I encountered had. It was great to capture the spirit of AFROPUNK in my studio.

Your portraits really capture the spirit of the subjects. What was your most memorable experience with an AFROPUNK community member on set?
They were all pretty memorable. Loved sharing a bit about my background and why I do what I do to allow my subjects to feel free to do the same. Which resulted in some of my favorite portraits to date.

As a Black womxn photographer, what is your vision for your photography and creative approach?
My approach has been the same since I started over 20 years ago. To capture the candid essence of my subjects so that anyone who really truly knows them will see them.

Your  book of portraits received rave critical reviews. What was that experience like? 
My book was published by my good friend Angelo Baque at Baque Creative Press. I decided to go this route as BCP ethos was wrapped in what I fight for everyday; to give Blacks and browns a place to explore their creativity while executing their vision on their own terms. It was great to really push myself to see what I could do. In the end it was lot of beneficial hard work.

As a Black artist, what do you want your work to represent to the Black community and culture?
I want it to represent that every day you have on this planet you tell your story or help those who can’t to do so.

How can art serve as a form of resistance for Black artists?
I think Black people being free is the truest form of resistance.

What does WE SEE YOU mean to you?
There is so much more going on in individuals minds to really SEE others. We are all faced with an insane amount of adversity every day and I think to really be seen by institutions and other humans is incredible and feel if more people saw others we’d be in different/better place as a society.

Check out AFROPUNK’s Chief Content Officer Emil Wilbekin’s favorite images from Shaniqwa Jarvis’ Budweiser Studio at AFROPUNK Atl 2019 now.