On August 4, 2017 at the Detroit Institute of Arts in Detroit, MI, USA , a photograph of Mahogany Jones in a rattan chair, flanked by other Detroit female hip-hop artists made by Jenny Risher, was part of the exhibition ‘D-Cyphered’.
Original photo: www.jennyrisher.com
“Most days, the Detroit Industrial Warehouse is a boring complex full of dust and walls dedicated to storing commercial goods and equipment. But on a weekend in April, hip-hop artists Mahogany Jones, Che, ReddBone, Alexis Allon, Ellie Sandiego, Piper Carter, and Lakia Nicole are recreating one of the most iconic photographs ever produced — the 1967 portrait of Huey P. Newton seated in a wicker chair holding a rifle and spear, perhaps the defining image of the Black Panther Movement.”
www.metrotimes.com
“D-Cyphered, a hip-hop photo exhibit at the Detroit Institute of Arts, depicted black women commanding the power of the throne. Photographer Jenny Risher restaged Newton’s photo, offering black women a powerful opportunity to envision themselves as Panthers. “I was inspired by the summer of 1967, the anniversary of the riots,” Risher says. “I really want to create a picture like this for hip-hop, a revolution tribute.”
The women are draped in various assortments of black leather garments inspired by the style of the movement they’re representing. “I can’t think of anything more powerful than women coming together. The success of the Black Panther Party was largely due to the support of women, but in history [they] are rarely celebrated. I wanted to celebrate the spirit of the women who fought for the efforts of the Black Panther Party and moved a generation’s thinking forward.”
msmagazine.com
Jenny Risher “is a lifestyle and portrait photographer. […] Risher’s second book, ‘DCYPHERED’, takes a look at Detroit’s undocumented Hip-Hop Community. In 2017- 2018 the work was featured in a seven-month solo exhibit at The Detroit Institute of Arts.”
http://www.jennyrisher.com/about
“Charyse Lois Bailey (born August 8, 1978), better known by the stage name Mahogany Jones, is an American inspirational female rapper, singer, songwriter, community activist, and arts educator.”
