Luke Austin - Léwa (beautiful) - 2018

"The single story creates stereotypes, and the problem with stereotypes is not that they are untrue, but that they are incomplete. They make one story become the only story." -- Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Nigerian writer
"Lewa" (Yoruba for "beautiful") is about the beauty of black skin. From skinny, wiry bodies to beefed-up muscles, Luke Austin's portraits aim to showcase black men in a way that goes against the stereotype. The men in Lewa have been captured in a sensitive, gentle, peaceful, and vulnerable way, words that are not often associated with black male youth in the media and such. Often photographing his models against a pink backdrop, Austin aims to show a side of black masculinity we rarely get to see. Since moving to America three years ago, Luke Austin recognizes the beating the black man's image has taken, and delivers this important book at a time where racism and fear mongering seem to be at an all-time high. "For me, when choosing a model, the color of their skin does not come in to play," says Luke Austin. "I see and treat everyone equally but I am not going to use that old line 'I don't see color' because I most certainly do. Many white people like to use that line because they think it tells people that they treat all equally. Unfortunately, people of color do not get to 'not see color' as they are still treated differently every day because of it. I admire the way black skin glows, the way it turns a reddish hue of mahogany when its sun burnt, and the way it looks blue under certain light. Black skin is a beautiful thing, and even more so to capture on film."

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