Fabrice Monteiro is an Agouda, a descendant of Brazilian slaves with Portuguese names. He was born in Belgium, grew up in Benin and now lives in Senegal. Before becoming a photographer, Monteiro worked as a model. In his series "Vues De L'Esprit", he revisits iconographical religious images and questions how they have a damaging effect (via and via).
Growing up in Benin, I was always fascinated by the sight of hundreds of black men, women, and children bowing down to a pink Jesus. What could be the effect of such an act on our self-concept?
above: Hodegetria, 2012
As a child, Monteiro was “intrigued by the religious images and the huge pink Jesus in the forecourt of many churches in Benin—when everybody around me was Black. If Jesus, the image of ultimate perfection, is white with straight hair in a world of Blacks, how does this affect how Africans perceive themselves?” (via)
This work proposes to revisit religious Epinal images that we take for granted and that do not pass through the filter of our reason, images that are part of our unconscious cultural baggage and influence our perception of things.
These portraits are inspired by Christian religious iconography but contain elements specific to other beliefs and other cultures.
By diverting these "cliches", I wonder about the withdrawal of identity in all its forms in an attempt to achieve a utopian universality."
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photographs by Fabrice Monteiro via
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