Through photography, Eileen Perrier has been forging relationships between people since the 1990s, recognizing the profound power of seeing others. A Thousand Small Stories will be exhibited at Autograph’s East London gallery from 17 April – 13 September 2025.
Using makeshift studios, Perrier connects her sitters through shared interests, kinship, and geographic location. Perrier’s work has evolved into a form of social engagement that embodies individuality and encourages us to see past social and cultural barriers.
Through photographs, Perrier contemplates the ways class, cultural identity, and belonging are represented in 19th-century European and contemporary black studio portraiture. She found herself caught between her upbringing and her dual Ghanaian and Dominican diaspora heritage as a London-born, London-raised artist. As Perrier examines how both geographical and cultural contexts affect identity, this sense of ambiguity is central to his work.
As part of Autograph’s ongoing commitment to preserve the legacy of important black women practitioners such as Perrier, and to recognize their significant contributions to the canon of photography, A Thousand Small Stories is part of Autograph’s ongoing commitment to do so.
