Black Jesus Taking a Selfie
Black Jesus Taking Selfie repositions a contemporary Black figure within the visual and symbolic framework of Christ, collapsing the distance between sacred iconography and everyday life. Set against the backdrop of an urban street, the figure holds a smartphone, capturing his own image in a gesture that is both casual and loaded with historical weight.
The work draws from the long tradition of Western religious painting while disrupting its conventions by centering Black identity within a role historically reserved for whiteness. The act of self-photography becomes a form of authorship—an assertion of presence within visual culture and a reclaiming of representation in spaces where Black figures have often been excluded or misrepresented.
By merging the sacred with the contemporary, Thompson raises questions about visibility, belief, and recognition: if divinity appeared in a familiar, modern form, would it be acknowledged—or dismissed? The image invites viewers to confront their assumptions about who is allowed to embody holiness, authority, and truth.
Date
June 27, 2024
