Black Excellence is a visual love letter I write to the Afro-diaspora community each year. I want to breathe love and light into our joy, our uniqueness, and our existence. Over the years, this series has been portrayed through themed photoshoots, immortalized in images. Looking back at the previous iterations of this beloved passion project, I’ve found that my photography has a cinematic quality, as if freeze-framing a movie. With that in mind, I felt a necessity to take things a step further this year while honing new skills to tell stories through video. So… with new friends and old, and love all around ~ 

I present to you, 

Black Excellence; Volume 5 

During a time of stillness and uncertainty, with the LA fires having blanketed the city in toxic air, I've found myself confined. The isolation has felt heavy, quiet and endless - much like a return to quarantine. Good Days by SZA is a song that brings me comfort and balance when the world feels overwhelming, and so I'd been listening to it a lot frequently. In that space, a visualizer I’ve lovingly named Harmonia has embodied itself —an effort to fill the void, both emotionally and creatively. The intentions behind this piece are to channel light and love into the LA art community amidst the surrounding chaos.

I hope this reaches you gently, reminding you that you are loved, held, and that good days are indeed on the horizon.

• With love, Kal ♡