Issue link: https://www.balharbourdigital.com/i/1494492
SHE H A S V ISION A N D HER WORK IS A N I MPORTA NT STATEMENT TO OV ERCOME ISSU ES OF REPRESENTATION I N A V IBRA NT, JOY FU L , A N D POW ERFU L WAY. —ALESSIA GL AVIANO and Vice to pitch her vision of Gen-Z youth culture and her ongoing fasci- nation with Black femme life. She's come a long way from those cold pitches, having since lensed the likes of Megan Rapinoe, Flo Milli, Evan Mock, Jaden and Willow Smith, and Black Panther's Danai Gurira. Growing up in New York's East Villa ge, Wilson often felt like an ar tistic outcast among her academic family. She found solace and acceptance on the internet where she shared her ar t on Flickr and Tumblr. "With the internet, I realized no one would judge me for my race, gender, or age," says Wilson. For the young artist, fashion is a space where change can happen. "I have the rare power to choose what goes on billboards around the world," she says. "There are so many kids that look like me who grew up not seeing themselves in a positive spotlight," she says. This weight is what inspires her to make works that uplift people who look like her. "You never know," she ponders. "It might make a little girl's day when they pass it on the street." Wilson was initially struck by the pervasive mood of "somberness" in the fashion world: the cold look of the models, the sterile set, and the one-dimensional expressions plastered in magazines. She instinctively envisioned a world filled with hear tening images. "I became deeply drawn to color and that was my first step towards creating a positive direct ion in my a r t ," Wi lson ex pla ins. Wi lson's photog raphs a re frequently bathed in a warm and radiant light, imbued with hues so vivid and joyful that they brush up against the dream-like structure of a painting. Although posed, this gutsy approach to positive expressions of human embrace is a testament to her tireless technical process in the da rk room a nd her deeply emot iona l approach towa rd popu lat ing fashion photography with positive imagery. "Most of my best ideas come from my dreams," she says. These hazy, soft-focused, and glimmering images are brought to life in works like Losing My Mind, the first NFT to premiere on Instagram, and a series that explores her journey to overcome mental health struggles. In her pursuit of inner peace and enlightenment, she shines a soft and tender light on Black women, of fer in g a unique a nd mu lt i- dimensiona l perspective on the Black feminine form. In addition to its representative forces, photography can also function as a creative outlet for healing. "Creating this uplifting work helps me. I want to create something so good that it takes me out of my depression," she says. Back in the quiet stillness of the darkroom, Wilson carefully selects colors from scratch. Each step towards her final print is a reflection of her unwavering commitment to her practice and her passion for craft- ing a unique vision in the world of photography. An image from Black Lovers, a project for Parade magazine, February 2022 Kaia Gerber and Imaan Hammam, 2020 160 BAL HARBOUR