"Reflections" marks the first solo exhibition of photographer Rahim Fortune, a Texas native whose work examines the visual and cultural narratives of the American South. Over the past decade, Fortune has blended documentary and personal storytelling to investigate themes of collective history, migration, and identity. This exhibition presents two major series: *I Can't Stand to See You Cry* (2021) and *Hardtack* (2024), offering a deep dive into the landscapes, communities, and traditions that shape his artistic vision.
Born in 1994 and a citizen of the Chickasaw Nation of Oklahoma, Fortune uses photography to explore fundamental questions of American identity. His images, often centered on individual families and communities, trace the shifting geographies of migration and resettlement, revealing how history is inscribed onto the landscapes of Texas and the broader South.
His 2021 book, *I Can’t Stand to See You Cry*, published by Loose Joints, was shortlisted for the Paris Photo-Aperture Photobook of the Year Award and won the Rencontres d'Arles Louis Roederer Discovery Award in 2022. His latest monograph, *Hardtack* (2024), has received international recognition, earning a nomination for the Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation Prize 2025. Fortune’s work is held in prestigious collections, including the High Museum of Art, LUMA Arles, the Victoria and Albert Museum, and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. He is represented by Sasha Wolf Projects in New York.
*I Can’t Stand to See You Cry* captures life across Texas and its neighboring states, portraying individuals navigating personal and societal challenges amid environmental and health crises. Fortune’s approach, grounded in intimate encounters, explores the tension between public and private life while reflecting on themes of loss, resilience, and self-discovery. The series is a deeply autobiographical meditation on a transformative period in the artist’s life—marked by a cross-country move, the loss of a parent, and a shifting sense of identity.
In *Hardtack*, Fortune examines his community’s historical relationship with photography by drawing from the aesthetics of vernacular and archival imagery. Rather than focusing solely on historic sites, he engages with the cultural and emotional weight these places carry, illustrating the resilience of Black communities in the face of adversity and joy. A key theme in the series is the portrayal of coming-of-age traditions—young bull riders, praise dancers, and pageant queens—all embodying a sense of continuity and pride. Fortune’s lens dignifies these cultural rites, highlighting the discipline, creativity, and intergenerational exchange that sustain them. Through his work, he bridges past and present, revealing the depth and complexity of Black life in the American South.
Image: © Rahim Fortune



