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Photojournalist Henry J. Kamara uses image to explore the complexities of race, class, and identity

Photojournalist Henry J. Kamara uses image to explore the complexities of race, class, and identity

SIERRA LEONE
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SIERRA LEONE

It was his sense of displacement that sparked the start of his artistic journey. Henry J. Kamara is a London based photographer of Sierra Leone heritage; he grew up balancing being both British and part of the African diaspora. So, it’s no surprise that Kamara naturally started on a journey to connect more deeply with his roots, camera in hand. Kamara’s photo series “Keeper of the Flame”, shot in Sierra Leona, was his first real in-depth and drawn out project exploring his personal heritage that drew attention and gave viewers an insight into his eye as a photographer.

Kamara captures emotional, raw snapshots of the culture and the individuals around him, often finding the beauty in the everyday. His photos are high contrast and bold but have a glowing warmth and intimacy that draws the viewer in; the candor of his photos makes them accessible and relatable to just about anyone.

Kamara’s camera has a unique way of capturing gratitude for the honest work and
diversity of communities around him, whether it be the village life of a small town in
Sierra Leone or local shop owners in his own hometown, London. As someone who
straddles both the East and West in their identity, Kamara is able to find the joy and
beauty in both, fostering a unique outlook as a British-African photographer; he captures photos from a viewpoint that we see dictated by and through both his multi-cultural lens and camera lens. His growing portfolio spans the realm of portraiture to editorial work-and everything in between. Kamara had his first editorial cover shoot just this past year for Observer Magazine that celebrated Black culture, photographing the notable and leading British-Grime rapper Stormzy.

Most recently, Kamara’s poignant photos of the BLM uprisings in London mid-June were featured in British daily newspaper The Guardian, with his photo gracing the front cover of The Guardian Weekly. Kamara is an up and coming photographer with an important young, Black, and powerful perspective that runs deep, uplifting the cultural worlds and narratives that he holds dear to his identity, both as an individual and photographer.

Keep up with Kamara’s work on Instagram.

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