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Black Woman Photographer Honors Black Woman Icon
27 Apr
Summary
- Photographer Ejatu Shaw captured Angela Bassett for Ebony's May 2025 cover.
- Shaw pivoted from medicine and architecture to pursue photography.
- Shaw uses her craft as therapy, especially after losing her father.
Ejatu Shaw, a British-Sierra Leonean photographer, achieved a significant milestone by photographing actress Angela Bassett for the May 2025 cover of Ebony magazine. The striking image, taken on a London rooftop, featured Bassett in a champagne-colored dress.
Shaw, who was expected to study medicine, initially pursued architecture as a compromise. However, a trip to Sierra Leone in 2013 inspired her to switch to photography, a decision that initially caused her father to cry due to concerns about financial stability.
Now recognized as one of the British Fashion Council's New Wave Creatives in 2025, Shaw views photography as a therapeutic tool. She found solace and a way to process grief, particularly after her father's death in 2020, by using her camera, especially in self-portraiture.
Looking ahead, Shaw aims to shoot a Vogue cover and develop photography programs in Sierra Leone. She is dedicated to making creative arts more accessible and demonstrating to African parents that careers in creative fields can be successful and rewarding.
