Fatoumata Traoré

Age: 17 Democracy Prep Harlem HighTo be able to see is to experience astonishing, sorrowful, electrifying, mysterious, and fleeting moments. I believe that capturing a moment allows one to look at it again and again, and live it continuously. By age seven I knew this world was hard, so sometimes I distanced myself from it. And at other times I pressured myself to face my problems. Either way, I’ve always tried to cope. When I found photography, I started to capture these moments so I could reflect upon them. My life revolves around a lot of people, my culture and traditions, my goals, and my well-being, so I highlight those moments in an image. I’ve learned to experiment with lighting, text, and color to improve my images, and just have fun with it. A great artist once said, “Art is the one place we all turn to for solace.” That’s Carrie Mae Weems, who is my inspiration and motivation. My art isn’t just images, it’s emotion, protest, and revolution of the person I want to be. It’s real, it’s me.
Day in He’s Life, 2021
I Am Happy Today, 2021