Mississippi, USA, b. 1960

In a practice that spans film, photography, and installation, Arthur Jafa confronts the beauty and alienation at the heart of Black American experience. The artist often juxtaposes original and found footage, exploring the possibilities of images and their archives. Jafa studied film and architecture at Howard University. Before focusing on fine art, he enjoyed an illustrious career as a cinematographer and worked on iconic films such as Daughters of the Dust, Crooklyn, and Eyes Wide Shut. His breakout work, 2016’s Love is the Message, The Message is Death, was shown at institutions around the world, including MOCA Los Angeles, ICA Boston, and MCA Denver, among others. He has been included in exhibitions in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Amsterdam, and elsewhere. In 2019, Jafa won the Golden Lion Award at the 58th Venice Biennale for his film The White Album.