Brick and Martyr, Works by Akintola Hanif, Photographer

Exhibition on view from February 1 to April 30, 2018
2nd Floor Gallery, Main Library, 5 Washington Street, Newark

Brick and Martyr is a multi-media exhibition featuring works by Akintola Hanif, a photojournalist who founded HYCIDE magazine in 2011. HYCIDE is an independent publication which presents stories of survival and freedom without judgment and challenges the status quo while bearing witness to the feared, neglected, and misunderstood. Hanif’s photography is also part of the permanent collections at the Newark Public Library, the New Jersey State Museum, and the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture.

The exhibition pays homage to the residents of Newark, reviewing how class and identity constructs fuel stereotypes about poverty and people of color. The works document life in Newark and encourage a culture of compassion. Brick and Martyr forms an archive that provides an alternate narrative on how we persevered, both creatively and courageously.

Historically, the role of photography in the Black experience has been explored by icons such as Gordon Parks, Jamel Shabazz, Deborah Willis, Carrie Mae Weems, and countless others. Today, visual archives, like family photo albums, are tools that enable us to share stories and ideas about American citizenship and Black culture. One day, people will want to know: What biases and injustice did we face? How did we live? How did we survive? How did we value one another?

The exhibition will be open during regular Library hours, Monday through Saturday, with free admission.
For group visits, please contact 973-733-7793.

PNC Foundation is proud to support the Newark Public Library’s Black History Celebration exhibition and public programs.

For information about Black History Celebration 2018, please click here.