As part of the reflect / project exhibition, Artist Brian Ellison of Houston, Texas, presents UnMASKunlinity, which explores the complexity of African American masculinity by documenting the daily lives of the Black experience and same-gender loving comradery, simultaneously creating safe spaces for Black men to engage in this dialogue.
Brian Ellison is a self-taught photographer, cinematographer, and conceptual visual artist. He is the director and producer of the film UnMASKulinity and the founder of The Black Man Project. Ellison believes there is no limit to self-expression and that art is a universal language that can be the catalyst for healing. Through his lens, Ellison documents the everyday Black experience such as gentrification’s impact on historical communities, under-publicized Black love and comradery, parenthood, and the persistent courage of Black women and men.
As part of the exhibition, Ellison has chosen artists Catherine Davila-Martinez and Marcelese Cooper to share works in conjunction with UnMASKulinity for the month. Check out the full exhibition here or UnMaskulinity playing nightly on the street level gallery at Mid-America Arts Alliance, 2018 Baltimore, Kansas City, Missouri.