Zun Lee: Father Figure

For this acclaimed project, photographer Zun Lee used his personal journey of discovery and identity formation to examine manifestations of black fatherhood largely ignored by mainstream media. The work does not only tackle the stereotypes of black fathers as absent deadbeats, but puts this topic squarely into the wider context of issues around criminalization of black masculinity.

The viewer gains intimate access to often-overlooked moments in the lives of African American men Lee has worked with since 2011. Lee brings into focus what pervasive father absence stereotypes have distorted – black men who define parental presence on their own terms and whose masculinity is humanized, not viewed with suspicion. Lee examines a complex subject matter with profound nuance, resulting in a richly woven narrative that is deceptively simple yet multidimensional.