This week sees the launch of new anti-racism photography show, Strange Flowers. The online exhibition, which is hosted by The Earth Issue, features an ethereal selection of images addressing themes of hope, community empowerment, and racial inequality.
It’s familiar territory for an art platform like The Earth Issue, which is already known for its social justice work. After the death of George Floyd last year, the organisation initiated a Freedom Fundraiser to support the Black Lives Matter movement, raising an impressive £213,000 for related grassroots groups. Strange Flowers is a continuation of this support, bringing together diverse, dreamy works from the artists involved in the original fundraiser.
“[These photos] are radical expressions of racial struggle,” explain the exhibition’s organisers in a statement. “[They are] testimonies of the complex world we inhabit, and we are celebrating them as symbols of the struggle, the fight and the great war for equality among all.”
The exhibition has contributions from over 50 image-makers, including Kay Ibrahim, Alex Bateman, and Laura McCluskey. Prints will be available to buy, with a portion of all proceeds being donated to causes supporting the “BIPOC community through cultural, artistic and social empowerment causes”.
Strange Flowers will run from February 11 through April 11 on The Earth Issue.