Background

Carrie Mae Weems was born on April 20th, 1953 in Portland Oregon to her parents Carrie Polk and Myrlie Weems.  She was the second oldest of 7 children. 

As a child, Weems was very artistic given that she loved to paint and draw. However, this soon stopped when Weems’ parents divorced when she 8. Weems would later take up acting and theater in her teenage years. 

When Weems turned 20, she received her first camera from her at the time boyfriend. Upon holding the camera, she knew that she had found her “tool” in life.  From then on, Weems used her skill of photography and filmography to create art that challenged the stereotypes that have been placed on Black people by society. 

Throughout the years, Weems has put out plenty of notable pieces of art. Her most notable photography series and films to date include “Portrait of a Woman Who has Fallen From Grace” ( 1987 ) The Kitchen Table Series” ( 1989-90 ), “From Here I Saw What Happened and I cried” ( 1995-96 ), “People of a Darker Hue” ( 2017 ), and “Imagine if this were you”  (2017 ). Additionally, from her work Weems has won many awards including MacArthur Fellowship Award ( 2013 ) and is the first African-American woman to have a retrospective at the Guggenheim. 

All of Weems’ art pieces focus on what the reality of being a Black person is actually like. Through these art pieces, Weems’ main goal is to redefine what Blackness is and assist the Black community in learning their history and embracing who they are as a people. 

Source:

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/15/t-magazine/carrie-mae-weems-interview.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carrie_Mae_Weems