Guest Curator: Vanessa Charlot 

Miami, FL & St. Louis, MO

Vanessa Charlot is a Haitian- American documentary photographer working in Miami, Florida and St. Louis, Missouri. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature and Sociology from Florida Atlantic University.

Vanessa shoots primarily in black and white to explore the immutability of the collective human experience and disrupt compositional hierarchy. Her work focuses on the intersectionality of spirituality, socio-economic issues and sexual/gender expression within marginalized communities. The purpose of her work is to produce visual representations of varied human existences that are free of an oppressive gaze.

Her photographs have been published in New York Times, Oprah Magazine, Vogue, The New Yorker, Rolling Stone, The Atlantic, New York Magazine, The Guardian, Artnet News, Buzzfeed and other publications

Curator Statement

“Capturing the painful reality of black communities and providing an intimate look into the lives of people whose stories commonly don’t make it into America’s public discourse was essential during the 2020 protests. Understanding the power and impact of centering black bodies in photographs during that momentous time in history, disrupts the photographic landscape.” 

“Documenting life in communities of color is the main thesis of this collective body of work. The purpose of Black Summer is to humanize the black experience while highlighting the universality of the struggle towards freedom and justice.”