When I Think About Power No. 1, 2021

Georgia native and NYU graduate, Eric Hart Jr., is an artist based in Brooklyn, NY. As a photographer, Hart's stylized portraiture is an exploration of blackness and shifting identities within black culture. His visual language is influenced by the nuances of intersectionality. From masculinity, queerness, to dress, his work aims to display people like himself in all of their power and beauty. Hart's photo work has been published in publications such as i-D Magazine, The NY Times, The Washington Post, and Rolling Stone magazine, as well as praised by artists such as Beyoncé and Spike Lee. Hart is a two-time Gordon Parks scholar, 2022 Forbes 30 under 30 Art & Style select, 2022 Doritos SOLID BLACK Changemaker and a For Freedoms x Google Image Equity Fellow.

Hart Jr.’s work is rooted in the amplifying of Black and/or queer liberation. He creates work from a place of wanting to reject control, exploring themes of power, beauty, and performance. His striking black and white portraits have a distinct visual language that portrays the artists message: “I, the outcast, am powerful, beautiful, and not the product of a world who has tried to label me.” 

When I Think About Power No. 1, from the When I Think About Power series, is an introduction to conflict. Reminiscent of Rodin’s The Thinker, Hart Jr.’s stylized portrait takes on a new form, juxtaposing pride and discomfort through his depiction of a male figure with a long white acrylic nails plagued worry on his face.  

Hart Jr.  was a part of the most recent cohort of For Freedoms x Google's Image Equity Fellowship supporting early-career image-based creators of color in the US and the expansion of a more equitable field of fine art. 

Hart Jr. notes “I am galvanized by the work For Freedoms does to create change in in this world. I am inspired by the organization’s messaging and artistic endeavors, which is not only beautiful and innovative in aesthetic, but it's powerful. It is intentional. It moves folks. And that is exactly what I hope to do with my work.” 

A publication featuring this work titled When I Think About Power was recently published and is available for purchase here.

For Freedoms is excited to support our fellows through sales and community-building opportunities; artists will receive 50% of the net proceeds of sales of their artwork. 

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