feature: what is “black” outside of a social construct? german-based photo artist mara tröger examines continental blackness in her “black isn’t black” series

Mara Tröger is a 28-year-old German-based photo artist of French and Guyanese heritage. Tröger is attracted to the photography because of it’s ability to alter and expand the persective of any viewer. With that in mind, her series “Black Isn’t Black” is a conceptual portrait project that features African men and examines the diversity and similarities of blackness and the many faces of the continent. On the technical level, Tröger arranged her subjects in uniformed and unchanged positions in front of simple backgrounds to maintain focus on each models’ physical characteristics. Down below are a few examples of Tröger’s portraits and you can see the entire series over here.

By Erin White*, AFROPUNK contributor

maratroeger.de/portfolio/black-isnt-black
instagram.com/maratroeger

*Erin White is an Atlanta-based writer and AFROPUNK’s editorial and social media assistant. You can follow her on Tumblr or friend her on Facebook. Have a pitch or an inquiry? Shoot her an email at erin@afropunk.com.