Photographer Interview: Nakeya Brown

It's been a long time since I've posted any photographer interviews... So I'm kicking off the 2013 interviews with Nakeya Brown, a young photographer whose work, which tackles the controversial subject of Black women's hair, captured my eye. Check out her The Refutation of Good Hair series below and stay in touch with Nakeya via her Tumblr page or on Instagram @nakeyab.

 D&B: Where are you from/Where do you reside?
NB: I am from a small town in Pennsylvania. I spent a majority of my adolescent years there up until college. I moved to New Jersey to attend Rutgers University and have lived here since. I’m currently working in New York City.

From the series Good Hair
Copyright Nakeya Brown

 What drew you to photography?
The summer I graduated from high school my mom bought me a Pentax point and shoot camera. I spent that summer in Brooklyn and it was then that I really fell for the medium. It was very much a tool for exploration since I was from such a small town. I'd shoot all the sites and people I'd encounter and post them to my blog and Flickr. I developed a small body of followers and my passion for photography grew. It was perfect timing because I'd started my first years in college. Ultimately I decided to pursue my degree in photography and have since made it a part of my life.

From the series Good Hair
Copyright Nakeya Brown
Tell us about your first encounter with the term "good hair".
It's difficult for me to pinpoint the first time I encountered the phrase. It's one of those phrases that you'd hear adults use and then would subconsciously pick up without ever examining its meaning. My current encounter with it lives within my photos.

From the series Good Hair
Copyright Nakeya Brown
Why did you think this medium was the best way to explore such a deeply entrenched aspect of Black beauty/culture?
With photography I found the ability to include the actual presence of the Black female body and hair. Everything within the photos actually existed exactly as I photographed it. This gives the artwork a higher level of truth and authenticity. That's something that is very important to me when making a photo, getting everything in camera so what the viewer sees is as real as it can possibly be.

From the series Good Hair
Copyright Nakeya Brown
Can you explain the connection in your work between consumption and definitions of beauty within (African-) American culture?
For decades the idea that African-American hair fell short of "beautiful" prevailed as a common definition of feminine beauty. A number of features define beauty and this series focuses on hair. The idea of "good hair" is recontexualized to a new meaning, it's literal meaning. The work is about accepting a new idea of what is "beautiful" but also bring those old ones to the forefront for discussion.

From the series Good Hair
Copyright Nakeya Brown
Did you watch Chris Rock's Good Hair documentary - if so, what did you think of it?
I'm familiar the documentary but have never seen it. I'm sure it's worth watching.

 Name 3 photographers that inspire you.
Lorna Simpson, Xaviera Simmons and Carrie Mae Weems.

From the series Good Hair
Copyright Nakeya Brown


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Dodge & Burn is a blog dedicated to documenting a more inclusive history of photography and supporting the work of photographers of color with photographer interviews.

This blog is published by visual artist and writer, Qiana Mestrich. For regular updates on diversity in photography history, follow Qiana on Twitter @mestrich, Like the Dodge & Burn Blog page on Facebook or subscribe to Dodge & Burn by email.