“Some people have paintbrushes, and they paint. Some people have cameras, and they shoot photos. But for me, it’s flowers and hair,” says artist Brandon Stanciell (@themanwholovedflowers), whose series “The Man Who Loved Flowers” is a response to the rigid depictions of black men in the media. Taking inspiration from Shel Silverstein’s “The Thinker of Tender Thoughts,” which illustrates a man teased for the flowers growing out of his head and eventually cuts them off, Brandon’s florally endowed portraits offer an alternative response: “Don’t let anybody else tell you how to be you. Don’t let society cut off your flowers. Just keep them growing.”
This week, we’ll be sharing the stories of African-American community members in celebration of #BlackHistoryMonth, which runs throughout February in the US.
Photo by @themanwholovedflowers