Through his lens, Eric Hart Jr. shows the splendor and power of queer people of color.
At 21, photographer Eric Hart Jr. has already worked with luminaries like filmmaker Spike Lee and visual artist Justin Bettman. His work has been published in The Washington Post, Dazed, and The Root. And he was featured in NYC's famed Photoville festival and a recent Sprite ad. Oh, and the Georgia native and wunderkind is also a full-time college student, studying photography and imaging at NYU Tisch School of the Arts while minoring in business at Stern.
Hart also founded Love Hart (OfficialLoveHart.com) in the summer of 2018, which he calls his "creative visual brand developed with the purpose to raise awareness and further conversations." As a gay Black man, Hart feels a special responsibility to uplift and empower LGBTQ+ people of color in his work.
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What does he look for in a subject? "Confidence," he asserts. "I don't like seeing Black and/or queer people in any light that feels weak. In so many ways, our communities have been deemed lesser or been othered to the point where our confidence becomes harder to find. At least that was the case for me growing up. So, I always want to tap into our power and create imagery that exudes an unapologetic energy. I look for subjects who exude comfort in their own skin."
As an artist and creator, Hart says he is "inspired by the intersection of Blackness and queerness. I've learned in recent years that intersection is what drives me to create. I very rarely saw reflections of myself growing up...Being Black [and] queer, it feels like once in a blue moon you find something in media that authentically captures the essence of who you are...As an imagemaker and storyteller, I want to be one of the many voices working to fill that gap."
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Hart also says it is a priority to collaborate with other queer artists of color.
"Throughout history we have witnessed BIPOC art and labor going unnoticed, being stolen, or even being frowned upon, but through the act of collaborating, there seems to be this certain knowing that both collaborators are there in support of what the other is doing...I want to see you eat as well. Let's eat together."
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"I think there's certain elevation that happens when creators understand each other," he continues. "Sharing this identity makes the collaboration a tad more intimate, a tad more authentic...We were comfortable because we knew we were creating in a safe space. And that authenticity, that comfort, it all shines through the art.
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Ultimately, Hart hopes his work sparks self-awakening. "There's beauty in all of us. I truly think my photo work speaks to a younger version of myself in which I am struggling to see my own beauty," he says, adding, "And for anyone who shares those same struggles, I hope they consume what I create and walk away feeling more comfortable with their own identity."
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Photographer ERIC HART JR. officiallovehart.com @erichartjr
Talent CHRISTOPHER ROCHELLE @eligible_chris
Stylist and Designer LEVI CAMPELLO levicampello.com @levicampello
Designer LOUIS DORANTES leakyoursextape.com @leak_nyc
Designer OCTAVIO AGUILAR dopetavio.com @dope_tavio
Lighting Assistant and Retoucher JAY ARORA @jayarora.jpg
