Deana Lawson

This comprehensive monograph surveys fifteen years of Deana Lawson's photography, accompanying her first major museum exhibition. Lawson's work challenges conventional representations of Black identities within African American and African diaspora contexts. Drawing from various photographic traditions—including family albums, studio portraiture, and staged tableaux—her images construct narratives centered on family, love, and desire. The publication features essays by curators Eva Respini and Peter Eleey, as well as contributions from scholars such as Kimberly Juanita Brown, Tina M. Campt, Alexander Nemerov, and Greg Tate. Additionally, it includes a conversation between Lawson and Deborah Willis, offering deeper insights into her creative process and thematic explorations.