A photographic portrait of a dignified, dark-skinned figure staring out at the viewer, wearing a formal ensemble featuring a stiff collar, a fur-trimmed coat on one shoulder, two large, fabric bows, and a gold chain.

Kennedi Carter

Shahqeel
Recent Acquisition

Maker

Kennedi Carter (American, b.1998)

Title

Shahqeel
from the series Flexing/New Realm

Year

2020

Medium

Materials/Techniques

Techniques

Dimensions

Sheet: 101.6 x 74.9 cm (40 x 29 1/2 inches) (sight)

Signature / Inscription / Marks

None visible in frame.

Credit / Object Number

Credit

Walter H. Kimball Fund

Object Number

2022.31

Exhibition History

Past Made Present
Dutch Shadows in the Black Atlantic
Sep 03, 2022 – Aug 06, 2023

Label copy

This photograph evokes the lavish world of the 17th century, but it takes much of its inspiration from 1980s and 1990s hip-hop culture, creating a portrait where contemporary flamboyance and historical extravagance overlap.

Carter said of the concept in a 2021 talk,

Flexing seems like one of those things that we have as Black people that we’re able to control. You’re able to control your appearance . . . in a world that everything—so many things—are unknown. It’s unknown what laws are going to be passed . . . , unknown what unjustness I might encounter the next day. But if I have control over how I can showcase who I am in the world, I’m going to do that.

Image use

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In copyright This object is in copyright

Tombstone

Kennedi Carter (American, b.1998)
Shahqeel; from the series Flexing/New Realm, 2020
Color inkjet print
Sheet: 101.6 x 74.9 cm (40 x 29 1/2 inches) (sight)
Walter H. Kimball Fund 2022.31

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