Kris Graves (born 1982) is an American photographer who primarily works in portraiture and landscape photography. He is based in New York and London, and his work has been published and exhibited internationally.[1] Graves's photographs evoke the sense of time, change, and memories as well as address social issues to raise awareness.[2] Graves founded and directs Kris Graves Projects, a publisher of art books.
While working as a collections photographer at the
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York, Graves continued his photographic endeavors.[4][5] He also started an art and photography publishing house, Kris Graves Projects, which has become a platform for collaboration between the publisher and its artists.[6] "On Death", published in 2019, was selected as
"TIME'S Best Photobooks of 2019".[7]
A photographic project, Discovered Missing (2010–2013), is a culmination of Graves's photographs made in
Iceland. He travelled to Iceland over the course of three years and photographed the country's landscapes, people, and their way of life.[8][9]
Testament Project (2014–2020) is a series of portraits depicting black Americans veiled in colored lightings. Subjects are given the freedom to choose the color of lighting by which their individuality is visualized and expressed.[10]Testament Project challenges the stereotypes of black people that are deeply rooted in society and present opportunities for individuals to re-examine their preconceptions.[11]
Graves's series, A Bleak Reality (2016), consists of eight photographs that were taken during his eight days of travel across the United States.[12] They depict the very places, including Ferguson and Staten Island, where eight black Americans were killed by police officers. Time when the photographs were taken corresponds, exactly or roughly, to the time of killings.[13]