Johanne Rahaman is a Trinidadian-born documentary photographer known for her compelling photographic projects that explore themes of Black identity, cultural heritage, and community. Rahaman's work often focuses on marginalized communities, highlighting their stories and capturing the essence of their everyday lives.
Rahaman's notable project, BlackFlorida, which gained widespread attention, is an ongoing multimedia archive that documents the lives and experiences of Black communities throughout the state of Florida. Through her photographs, she sheds light on the rich history, nuances, and social realities of these communities, challenging stereotypical narratives and showcasing their resilience.
Rahaman's work has been exhibited nationally and internationally, and she has received awards and accolades for its impact in bringing attention to often overlooked or marginalized voices and experiences.
Rahaman's project for the Artist as Archivist (A/A) program highlights the community history of the Rastafari in Miami. Mansions of Rastafari is an umbrella term for various groups within the Rastafari movement, including the Bobo Ashanti, the Nyabinghi, the Twelve Tribes of Israel, and several smaller groups, including African Unity, Covenant Rastafari, Messianic Dreads, Selassian Church, and New Rasta Dem.
Rahaman created a series of individual and group portraits featuring practitioners of Rastafari within Miami’s African diaspora, to be presented on social media and publicly exhibited and archived on the WAAM website, with accompanying audio interviews and text, culminating with a conversation with members of the Rastafari community.
Rahaman explains: "The portraits in this series placed practitioners in natural spaces, in conversation with nature, but more importantly, the series repositions the spiritual practice of Rastafari in its original place as an Afrocentric religion. While I will be renewing my connection with some members of the Rastafari community and making new ones, my intention is to also foster a deeper public understanding of Rastafari as more than just a hairstyle and lifestyle, but as an eastern-looking religious and political movement, created in the Caribbean with its own distinctive traditions and culture".
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