Click and connect: Interview with Medway photographyer Michi Masumi

This feature in Cene Magazine Edition 33 showcases my practice-based research, focusing on Black British visual arts, cultural identity, and intersectionality.

As part of my PhD, this publication serves as a public-facing artefact, placing my creative outputs such as photography and self-portraiture within the broader context of race, representation, and heritage.

In the feature, I explore diversity as a site of resistance and reclamation, particularly through themes of natural hair, spirituality, and diasporic identity. By connecting my artistic practice to the intersectional frameworks, I aim to challenge historical narratives and amplify the importance of Black British photographic contributions to the visual arts.

The work aligns with my research methodologies, including autoethnography and visual ethnography, to critically engage with personal and collective histories.

My approach integrates the personal with the academic, using intersectionality theory as a lens to investigate how race, gender, and cultural heritage intersect in shaping identity and representation.

This publication underscores the role of art-based inquiry in not only challenging societal norms but also fostering meaningful dialogue about Black British artists and their contributions to cultural, academic and social discourse.

In this Interview with Joe Bill the Editorial Director of Cene Magazine, I was able to highlight processes I use within my practice, bring the concept of connecting between the person and the portrait output, and celebrate diversity and intersectionality both by being featured as a professional Photographer and the models chosen for my first magazine feature. I wanted it to be loud and clear what I stand for, visibility, Equality and to showcase my work through my Black experiences.

Through this feature, I bridge the gap between academic research and public engagement, illustrating how creative practice generates new insights and enriches conversations around Black British art and cultural narratives.