Tate Photography: Ajamu X

"Self-portraiture then is a way to interrogate not just who I am in terms of my identity and sexuality, but, more importantly, who I can fantasise myself to be."Ajamu X, born in Huddersfield in 1963, is a British photographic artist, curator, archivist and activist. He is best known for his fine art photography which explores same-sex desire, the erotic and sensory, and the Black queer body. As a leading specialist in Black British LGBTQ+ history, heritage and memory, his work as an archivist and activist documents the lives and experiences of Black LGBTQ+ people in the United Kingdom. His work is held in many private and public collections, including Tate, the Rose Art Museum, Autograph, Arts Council of England, and the Victoria & Albert Museum. "I think photography privileges the visual, but in the darkroom the other senses kick in: the sonic, the tactility, the smell is important too."

"Self-portraiture then is a way to interrogate not just who I am in terms of my identity and sexuality, but, more importantly, who I can fantasise myself to be."

Ajamu X, born in Huddersfield in 1963, is a British photographic artist, curator, archivist and activist. He is best known for his fine art photography which explores same-sex desire, the erotic and sensory, and the Black queer body. As a leading specialist in Black British LGBTQ+ history, heritage and memory, his work as an archivist and activist documents the lives and experiences of Black LGBTQ+ people in the United Kingdom.

His work is held in many private and public collections, including Tate, the Rose Art Museum, Autograph, Arts Council of England, and the Victoria & Albert Museum.

"I think photography privileges the visual, but in the darkroom the other senses kick in: the sonic, the tactility, the smell is important too."

• | Author: Hannah Marsh
• | Publisher: Tate Publishing
• | Publication Date: Apr 10, 2025
• | Number of Pages:
• | Language:
• | Binding: Paperback / softback
• | ISBN-13: 9781849769563
• | ISBN-10: 1849769567