Gallery Conversation: Black Representation in 'Deana Lawson'

Deana Lawson’s striking portraits and photo assemblages unpack complexities of race and identity. Join the artist, Carnegie Museum of Art curator Dan Leers, poet Rickey Laurentiis, columnist Tony Norman, and Africana studies professor Christel Temple for a community conversation on Lawson’s meticulously staged works. Lawson photographs people and interiors she encounters in her daily routines and travels, from her own neighborhood in Brooklyn to Soweto, South Africa, and beyond. Their life-size scale affords scrutiny of the carpeting, clothing, furniture, hair, and jewelry that impact our perceptions—and perhaps biases—about people and their stories.

Add your voice to the discussion! Have you been moved by these works? How does Lawson challenge us? We will offer space for questions and feedback throughout the discussion.