Dawoud Bey Quotes

People say don't stare. Through the photos, not only do I stare, but I allow viewers to stare at the subject, to see things that they cannot see with a casual glance.

Black people have been killed for directing their gaze at the wrong person. I want my subjects to reclaim their right to look, to see, to be seen.

I always wanted my photographs to challenge the status quo, to contest the kinds of images that existed in popular culture.

Improvisational things about picture-making... learned from working with the small camera early on have served me well in being able to think quickly when making [portraits].