Rows of precisely-placed deep violet roses adorning a purple wall surround an intricate golden frame. The framed picture displays a Black woman draped in a white scarf with a vibrant yellow dress to juxtapose a consuming black background.

Just a few steps away in the next room, a warm, glowing portrait of Naomi Campbell sits perched against a wall consisting of one big mirror. With her legs crossed and arms open, she sits on a striking velvet yellow couch against a dark brown cabinet and atop a deep red floral carpet — a vision of power, beauty and strength.

The wall to the left of the portrait contains lush greenery surrounding featured portraits and a glowing green sign that reads “I wear my crown for every woman whose crown has been undermined, unjustly removed, borrowed or stolen.”

“One of the beautiful things about Jamel Shabazz’s work is how he captures the emotions of his photography (and) has an incredible capability to capture these moments … (that) stand the test of time,”  said Rachel E. Winston, UT Black diaspora archivist. “Being able to bear witness to these photos and connect instantly, … especially as a Black woman, (and) being able to see an experience like mine projected onto the walls and the spaces of the gallery really is a beautiful thing to be able to take part in.”

This exhibit, “Peace to the Queen,” contains a retrospective of New York-based photographer Jamel Shabazz, celebrating a culmination of his work over four decades. The exhibit consists of various photographs of women of color, highlighting predominantly Black women, in a series of nostalgic, powerful and natural portraits. “Peace to the Queen” opened Feb. 24, and currently resides with free admission at the George Washington Carver Museum, Cultural and Genealogy until Sept. 17.

“(The exhibit is) the story of one woman’s life magnified by the lives of many women,” said Ja’nell Ajani, curator of the exhibit and UT graduate student fellow. “As women, our stories are complex, they’re nuanced. They’re filled with joy, love, pain, (and) heartache. However, this show focuses more on a celebratory nature of thinking about women from the perspective of the totality of their lived experience, and the beauty of their lived experiences.”

While the exhibit was conceptualized about eight years ago, the physical planning did not start until years later, Ajani said. The process of creating this exhibit began when Ajani came across a Vision & Justice magazine and picked out photos she found inspiring, which led her to Shabazz. 

“Peace to the Queen” began as one of Shabazz’s sayings as a display of love and admiration towards women in his circle and women of color. The phrase became the name of a future exhibit dedicated to sharing his legacy of photography surrounding capturing the stories and essence of women of color in New York since the 1970s. Ajani said for her, the nostalgia of Shabazz’s work elicited an emotive, joyous response.  

“I hope that everybody who has been to the show, regardless of background or origin, is able to feel the love captured in these images — the love that’s depicted in the photos, the love that was behind (Shabazz) and his taking of the photos and certainly the love and care that went into designing this show,” Winston said. 

Ajani curated the exhibit, acquiring and developing the collection of works featured and making detailed decisions such as eliminating white walls in the exhibit and picking out the featured portraits with intentionality and specificity.

“I went to a Black Museum in Black space with a Black artist,” Ajani said. “It’s in the Black Cultural District, which has its own history within the city, so it’s a lot of layered meaning and presentation for audience members to take from it what they will.”

The exhibit also pays homage to Black female figureheads in the Austin community such as Pamela Benson Owens, Meagan T. Harding, Stephanie L. Lang, Dawn Okoro, Rachel E. Winston and Jennifer Cumberbatch. Christine A. Pinnock, design consultant for Building Future Legacies for Young Scholars who worked with Ajani for design of the exhibit said this effort to show recognition to Black women was well executed and made her feel seen.  

“(The exhibit is) truly magical, enlightening and exciting,” Pinnock said. “It reminded me of the presence of who we are as women of color as Black women, and the fact that … those of us living in marginalized communities, that our presence still matters — that we are here.”

Additionally, Winston, who acted as a sounding board for Ajani while creating the gallery, said that locating the exhibit at the Carver museum put it in a safe space where Black Austinites are celebrated and appreciated. 

“The Carver feels like home,” Winston said. “I walk into the Carver, and I can exhale. This show just adds on top of it. You go to this gem here in Austin for Black culture, history and art, and to be able to bear witness to this show, which points a bright spotlight on Black women and (celebrates) them through a gaze that is intentional and careful — it’s very powerful.” 

Winston also said that housing this exhibit at the Carver museum in East Austin, where they discussion about gentrification and the Black population fading away, reignites hope for preserving the heart of the area and reinforces the fact that the Black community in East Austin is not going away any time soon. 

“This show will be a draw for folks, not just in Austin, but outside of Austin,” Winston said. “This is the kind of show that people travel to see. It’s fantastic for this retrospective of (Shabazz) to be here in Austin — a city where we’re continuously talking about the Black population declining — to show that not only is there an audience for that here in Austin, but there are institutions and the whole community of people working to make this kind of show happen and make sure it’s supported.”

Looking to the future, Ajani said she hopes the exhibit made its mark on Austinites, changing the way Black artists in the city imagine and carry out their art.   

“I came to Austin to do the work that I was called to do, and it was very gratifying,” Ajani said. “The full impact of this show on the city of Austin and the state of the way that our Black art, in particular, is presented within the city will probably not be understood until many years to come. … I know that the show has definitely left its mark in terms of how Black art in the city will be imagined.”

“Peace to the Queen” not only is a striking tribute to the brilliant works of Shabazz, but it also serves as a joyous celebration of women of color, highlighting the strength, resilience, beauty and power of these women, coming together for a memorable exhibit. 

“This exhibit will resonate with people and (move them) to actually see us for who we are, specifically (as) Black women,” Pinnock said. “I see this exhibit not only as acknowledgement of the divinity and divine presence that Black women have, … (but) a complete rejection of a white gaze and white lens that typically we are viewed through. … I hope it’s a call for people to … (teach) themselves about who we are, and the divine impact that we bring to this world. Because to me, nothing is more special, nothing is more beautiful, than the presence and power (of) BIPOC women.”