Pierre Jean-Louis is an American visual artist who has decided to celebrate the natural look of black women in a series called, appropriately enough, "Black Girl Magic."
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He created the series in the hopes that it would empower and compel black women to embrace their African heritage, rather than conceal it.
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“I started creating these beautiful pictures last year around September when I started following some amazing accounts on Instagram [which have] nothing but beautiful black queens rocking their natural hair."
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“I was amazed to see how so many black women are finally letting go of their insecurities and accepting themselves for who they are."
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“I want the whole world to know that Mother Nature is actually black and we wouldn’t be here without her. I want every young black queen to remember that."
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The finished product is a mesmerizing work that balances the natural with the human with the otherworldly.
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He achieves this balance through a composition of the models' hair and faces, the astronomical imagery, and the floral designs that keep the result at once stellar and earthbound.
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He does this by taking standard, traditional portraits, then, using editing software...
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Though the images are digitally manipulated, they have a distinctly natural quality about them remains crucial to the intent of the series.
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Though the artist is very well-traveled, he resides mainly in the NYC/Philly area, and derives most of his inspiration from the culture in these cities.
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His bio on social media reads, "The world is my canvas. I'm just trying to paint a perfect picture with a lot of mistakes."
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To see more works by Pierre Jean-Louis that mimic this unique approach, check out his Instagram feed.
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