Black Leisure, Recentered — editorial photography by TIKA Studios

Self-Directed Editorial

Black Leisure,
Recentered

Black Leisure, Recentered looks at who was missing from the visual language of mid-century leisure.

Pools were sites of segregation, which made the ordinary image of a Black woman resting poolside far less present in the visual record. I used the setting, styling, and symbols of that era to place her fully inside a world whose imagery rarely centered her.

Role

Creative Direction · Photography

Type

Self-Directed Editorial Series

Scope

Art Direction · Styling Direction

Year

2023

A woman in a black sheer dress and sunglasses standing outdoors under a striped green and white canopy, with a palm tree and blue sky in the background.
Woman relaxing in a poolside chair under striped umbrellas and a canopy, wearing sunglasses, jewelry, and a black swimsuit, with towels and plants nearby.
A person holding a small mirror in front of their face, showing a reflection of their lips and part of their nose with red lipstick.
A woman with dark hairstyle, wearing sunglasses, red lipstick, a necklace, and earrings, applying lipstick to her lips.

Direction centered stillness and instinct rather than performance.

Pearls, red lips, and the black swimsuit reference the visual codes of mid-century leisure and luxury, imagery that rarely centered Black women.

The Lafayette Hotel provided the period setting. Styling, composition, and pace were considered together to create a sense of ease and belonging, rather than spectacle.

The photographs reimagine an ordinary kind of Black leisure that the dominant visual archive rarely preserved.

APPROACH

Close-up of a woman with curly hair wearing large hoop earrings, a pearl necklace, and layered chains, captured outdoors with soft natural lighting.
A woman with dark curly hair styled in an updo, wearing sunglasses, red lipstick, a black top, and pearl jewelry, is lying on a checkered outdoor surface near a swimming pool while reading a newspaper titled 'Business'.
A woman with curly hair, wearing black lingerie, pearl necklace, and sunglasses, is lying beside a swimming pool. She is holding a magazine and a high-heeled shoe, with her hair up and a relaxed expression. The pool area has a tiled surface with geom
A woman with dark hair wearing black sunglasses, red lipstick, and layered pearl necklaces, dressed in a black top and green patterned clothing, smiling outdoors.
Woman sitting on a green and white patterned lounge chair outdoors, wearing sunglasses, gold hoop earrings, layered necklaces, and a black swimsuit, with a background of patterned cushions, chairs, and greenery.
A woman with dark hair tied in a towel, wearing sunglasses, gold jewelry, and a white off-shoulder dress, posing outdoors on a sunny day with a blue sky background.
Close-up of a woman's face, wearing glasses and pearl jewelry, with her head tilted slightly downward.
A woman with a towel wrapped on her head, wearing black sunglasses, red lipstick, earrings, and multiple pearl necklaces, smiling outdoors.

CREDITS

CREATIVE & ART DIRECTION: TIKA Studios
PHOTOGRAPHY: TIKA Studios

MUSE: Katrena
LOCATION: The Lafayette Hotel, San Diego, CA
STYLING: Katrena (Self-styled)
SWIMWEAR: Londre Swimwear
PROJECT: Black Leisure, Recentered

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