The presentation brings together eleven of Harriman's powerful, moving photographs of street protests from recent years.
UTA Artist Space presents The Purpose of Light, a new digital exhibition of photographs by Nigerian-born British photographer and activist Misan Harriman.
The presentation brings together eleven of Harriman's powerful, moving photographs of street protests from recent years, mostly taken at Black Lives Matter protests in the UK in the summer of 2020. Harriman will be supporting the Avenues Youth Centre and The Black Curriculum with this exhibition.
Called "the most talked about photographer of our times" by the London Evening Standard, Harriman's selected works for the exhibition are candid on-the-ground shots of Black Lives Matter and anti-Trump protests in the UK, handpicked by Harriman out of over 8,000 photographs he took at the protests. "When I go out on the streets of London to capture the social and political protests that have captured the world, there exists a sense of unspoken solidarity between the protestors and I, the photographer standing beside them. I think this sense of empathy and trust is key to this series," says Misan Harriman.Photographer, creative director, and cultural commentator Misan Harriman is the first Black person in the 104 year history of British Vogue to shoot one of its storied covers.
His strong reportage style and unique eye for narrative has captured the attention of editors and celebrities around the world. From documenting historic moments, most recently the Black Lives Matter movement in London, to photographing high profile celebrities, including Meghan Markle, Tom Cruise, Julia Roberts, Giorgio Armani, Rihanna, Cate Blanchett, and Olivia Colman, Harriman is a photographer of extraordinary range. His commissions include royal, private and high profile portraiture as well as reportage documenting and covering behind the scenes at major awards, music festivals and film sets. His striking images have featured in Vanity Fair, Vogue UK, Harpers Bazaar, and The Telegraph among others. Misan is also an outspoken activist supporting Diversity and Inclusion in the workplace and he is a mental health campaigner with a keen interest in Dyslexia and Neurodiversity. He is the founder of What We Seee, whose mission is to surface and amplify uplifting and inspirational stories in a curated stream of the best output from diverse voices, artists, archives and brands to raise the tone of cultural conversation. In 2021, Harriman was appointed Chair of Trustees at London's Southbank Centre.Videos