DETROIT, MICH.- As part of the Detroit Institute of Art’s commitment to expand the collection with diverse works, the museum has acquired six photographs by Black photographers from Metro Detroit.

These photographs are currently on view in the exhibition The New Black Vanguard: Photography between Art and Fashion in the New Gazes - Detroit section, which was co-curated by Bre’Ann White and DIA Curator of Photography, Nancy Barr. The six photographers all have established reputations in the Detroit community and beyond. Together, they bring greater visibility to Black culture and history as inspired by Detroiters.

“Photography is a way to see the world through others’ eyes,” says Barr. “These photographs bring new stories and fresh perspectives to our collection by a talented group of young Black photographers.”

The works include:

Untitled (Detroit), ca. 2020, Justin Milhouse, American; pigment print.

Born and raised in Detroit, Milhouse was exposed to many different mediums of art at a young age, fueling the inspiration to get into photography and videography while attending college as a business major. “What started as a hobby and creative outlet transformed into a passion to create and document the world around me,” Milhouse remarked.

Down the Street from Peace, 2019, Ray “Trilogybeats” Rogers, American; pigment print.

Rogers is a photographer and music producer well known in the community in Detroit and at large through his social media handle “Trilogy Beats.” He is a self-taught photographer from Detroit, who began his exploration of creative endeavors in music production. Later he discovered a passion for photography, taking photos on a cell phone while running marathons. He specializes in portrait, product, lifestyle, nature, and documentary photography.

Dapper Hop, ca. 2020, Corey Turner, American; pigment print.

Turner is a professional fashion and product photographer. In 2017, he was awarded a Documenting DETROIT Fellowship, during which he completed a photo essay entitled Henry the Hatter -Surviving The Times, which focused on small businesses dealing with the effects of gentrification. The story also gave insight into the fashion culture of Detroit. Turner was inspired to become a photographer after seeing a fashion photograph of Donyale Luna, Detroit native and fashion model, which was part of the Richard Avedon exhibition shown at the DIA in 2010. He went on to study photography at Oakland Community College and The School of Visual Arts, New York.

Turner notes, “It’s crucial that we as artists put the images and narratives out that are authentic to our experience, that’s representing of us as a people and paint a picture of how we want to view ourselves.”

For the Black men my love cannot protect, you are radiant…, 2020, Mishira Davis, American; pigment print.

Davis is a self-taught photographer and Detroit native who is drawn to making portraits of regular people and highlighting their unique energy, translating the natural beauty, grace, and enthusiasm of her subjects. For the Black men my love cannot protect, you are radiant… was taken on July 11, 2020. The title is an excerpt of a poem by Azariah Cole-Shephard.

Untitled (Black Man), ca. 2020, Christian Najjar, American; pigment print.

Najjar is a photographer and Detroit native. Her work often focuses on fashion portraiture while blending street style with refined art concepts emphasizing diversity and inclusion. Her work touches on elegant beauty, often embodying minimalism yet complex subject matter. Her goal is to make her subjects and audience feel comfortable and empowered. In Untitled (Black Man) Najjar shows that Black men are often the source of inspiration for street wear and clothing design, but they aren't generally thought of in this way.

Freedom I, 2020, Bre' Ann White, American; pigment print.

“My mission in life is to uplift my community and give a voice and platform to the limitless power and beauty of the black experience,” says White. She started photographing in 2010, and now works as a fashion and portrait photographer, with her work exhibited globally and published in Teen Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, Essence, and more.