ING Unseen Award 2019
Highlight
By Kevin Osepa
By Valentino Angela
Kevin's Osepa's work "Sinta Ketu" explores various themes regarding black barbershops. For 3 weeks Kevin researched and photographed in a barbershop where he came across various intimate moment between a barber and the client. Sinta Ketu translates to Sit Still, which is what a client usually does when the barber is shaving him.
These black barbershops are seen as spaces where black men don't only come for a haircut but also the experience of coming together and sharing without prejudace. At the same time these spaces poses a lot of hypermasculinity and homophobia. This with consequence that most gay black men lose valued membership to an 'institute' that has a legacy of uplifting black communities.
Within this project Kevin points out the very intimate moments during the haircut itself that a client has with his barber which creates the ultimate bond between the two. A moment where all this toxicity disappears for a brief moment.
The project was exhibited at Unseen, Amsterdam and has won the ING Unseen Award 2019.
Awards:
ING Unseen Award 2019 - Amsterdam, Netherlands
Kevin's Osepa's work "Sinta Ketu" explores various themes regarding black barbershops. For 3 weeks Kevin researched and photographed in a barbershop where he came across various intimate moment between a barber and the client. Sinta Ketu translates to Sit Still, which is what a client usually does when the barber is shaving him.
These black barbershops are seen as spaces where black men don't only come for a haircut but also the experience of coming together and sharing without prejudace. At the same time these spaces poses a lot of hypermasculinity and homophobia. This with consequence that most gay black men lose valued membership to an 'institute' that has a legacy of uplifting black communities.
Within this project Kevin points out the very intimate moments during the haircut itself that a client has with his barber which creates the ultimate bond between the two. A moment where all this toxicity disappears for a brief moment.
The project was exhibited at Unseen, Amsterdam and has won the ING Unseen Award 2019.
Awards:
ING Unseen Award 2019 - Amsterdam, Netherlands
Kevin's Osepa's work "Sinta Ketu" explores various themes regarding black barbershops. For 3 weeks Kevin researched and photographed in a barbershop where he came across various intimate moment between a barber and the client. Sinta Ketu translates to Sit Still, which is what a client usually does when the barber is shaving him.
These black barbershops are seen as spaces where black men don't only come for a haircut but also the experience of coming together and sharing without prejudace. At the same time these spaces poses a lot of hypermasculinity and homophobia. This with consequence that most gay black men lose valued membership to an 'institute' that has a legacy of uplifting black communities.
Within this project Kevin points out the very intimate moments during the haircut itself that a client has with his barber which creates the ultimate bond between the two. A moment where all this toxicity disappears for a brief moment.
The project was exhibited at Unseen, Amsterdam and has won the ING Unseen Award 2019.
Awards:
ING Unseen Award 2019 - Amsterdam, Netherlands
Kevin's Osepa's work "Sinta Ketu" explores various themes regarding black barbershops. For 3 weeks Kevin researched and photographed in a barbershop where he came across various intimate moment between a barber and the client. Sinta Ketu translates to Sit Still, which is what a client usually does when the barber is shaving him.
These black barbershops are seen as spaces where black men don't only come for a haircut but also the experience of coming together and sharing without prejudace. At the same time these spaces poses a lot of hypermasculinity and homophobia. This with consequence that most gay black men lose valued membership to an 'institute' that has a legacy of uplifting black communities.
Within this project Kevin points out the very intimate moments during the haircut itself that a client has with his barber which creates the ultimate bond between the two. A moment where all this toxicity disappears for a brief moment.
The project was exhibited at Unseen, Amsterdam and has won the ING Unseen Award 2019.
Awards:
ING Unseen Award 2019 - Amsterdam, Netherlands
Kevin's Osepa's work "Sinta Ketu" explores various themes regarding black barbershops. For 3 weeks Kevin researched and photographed in a barbershop where he came across various intimate moment between a barber and the client. Sinta Ketu translates to Sit Still, which is what a client usually does when the barber is shaving him.
These black barbershops are seen as spaces where black men don't only come for a haircut but also the experience of coming together and sharing without prejudace. At the same time these spaces poses a lot of hypermasculinity and homophobia. This with consequence that most gay black men lose valued membership to an 'institute' that has a legacy of uplifting black communities.
Within this project Kevin points out the very intimate moments during the haircut itself that a client has with his barber which creates the ultimate bond between the two. A moment where all this toxicity disappears for a brief moment.
The project was exhibited at Unseen, Amsterdam and has won the ING Unseen Award 2019.
Awards:
ING Unseen Award 2019 - Amsterdam, Netherlands