MEKLIT FEKADU: BEYOND THE WHITE GAZE

AKUA STUDIOS:

What drives your creative practice?

MEKLIT:

I am a fashion and portrait photographer based in Berlin. My creative practice is driven by my roots, my lived experiences, and the music that surrounds my life. All of these elements shape how I see the world and how I translate that into imagery.

AKUA STUDIOS:

We all hold multiple identities. Can you share a moment when your work powerfully expressed one or more aspects of your identity – particularly those that feel underrepresented in European creative spaces?

MEKLIT:

Honestly, almost all of my work does that. I started photography as a way to process my own reality. When I began sharing my images on social media, they resonated especially deeply with Black people and people of color. Because of that, I would say that every piece of work reflects aspects of my identity. Each photo carries a part of my perspective and therefore expresses identities that are often underrepresented in European creative contexts.

AKUA STUDIOS:

When navigating creative spaces in Europe, what barriers have you encountered? How do you maintain authenticity despite these?

MEKLIT:

I also work heavily in commercial environments, which are still very male-dominated and predominantly white. The biggest barrier has been being taken seriously — first as a woman, and then again as a Black woman. What helped me was building strong knowledge in my field and gaining enough experience to stand confidently in my craft. When I'm grounded in what I know and what I can do, it becomes much harder for external doubts to shake me.

AKUA STUDIOS:

Visibility vs. Tokenism — where do you draw the line? Can you share an experience that illustrates this distinction?

MEKLIT:

This is a topic I still think about often. The line is very thin. I felt it most strongly in 2020, during the height of the BLM movement after George Floyd's murder. I was just starting my career, and suddenly commercial clients approached me with long speeches about how important diversity was to them. I found myself wondering whether they were reaching out because of my skills or because I fit a diversity quota that made the company look good. It was a difficult space to navigate, and in some ways, it still is.

AKUA STUDIOS:

Beyond just "being seen," what does meaningful representation look like to you as a Black creative in Europe?

MEKLIT:

For me, it means access. Real access. It means trust, being given the benefit of the doubt, and having my ideas taken just as seriously as those of others. It's about being included not only visually, but structurally.

AKUA STUDIOS:

How would you wish to see the creative industries evolve in the next 5 years? What would need to change structurally?

MEKLIT:

In the next five years, I'd love to see Black people and people of color not only in front of the camera but also behind it. With real access, real decision-making power, and diverse teams across all levels. I want Black stories to be told from our own perspectives, not through a white gaze. And I wish for global creative possibilities to expand beyond Western ideas of beauty and aesthetics.