Information
BIOGRAPHY
Amani Willett is a Brooklyn and Boston-based photographer whose practice is driven by conceptual ideas surrounding family, history, memory, and the social environment. Working primarily with the book form, his three monographs have been published to widespread critical acclaim. Disquiet (Damiani, 2013) and The Disappearance of Joseph Plummer (Overlapse, 2017) and “A Parallel Road (Overlapse 2020)” were selected by Photo-Eye as “best books” of the year and have been highlighted in over 70 publications including Photograph Magazine, PDN, Hyperallergic, Lensculture, New York Magazine, 1000 Words, NPR, The British Journal of Photography, Collector Daily and Buzzfeed and recommended by Todd Hido, Elisabeth Biondi (former Visuals Editor of The New Yorker), Vince Aletti and Joerg Colberg (Conscientious), among others.
Amani’s photographs are also featured in the books American Geography (SF Moma/Radius Books, 2021), Bystander: A History of Street Photography (2017 edition, Laurence King Publishing), Street Photography Now (Thames and Hudson), New York: In Color (Abrams), and have been published widely in places including The Atlantic, American Photography, Newsweek, Harper’s, The Huffington Post, The New York Times, The New York Times Magazine and The New York Review of Books. His work resides in the collections of the Tate Modern, The Library of the Museum of Modern Art, The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, The Sir Elton John Photography Collection, The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Oxford University, and Harvard University, among others.
Amani completed an MFA in Photography, Video and Related Media from the School of Visual Arts, NY in 2012 and a BA from Wesleyan University in 1997.
In addition to his artistic practice, Amani is an Assistant Professor of Photography at the Massachusetts College of Art and Design in Boston.
Selected editorial and commercial client list
Curriculum Vitae
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EDUCATION
M.F.A. Photography, Video and Related Media, School of Visual Arts, New York, NY, 2012
B.A. American Studies/Psychology, Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT, 1997
SELECTED SOLO AND GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2023
Notes On A Native Son, Peckham 24, London, England
2022
The Disappearance of Joseph Plummer, MAID Gallery, Milwaukee, WI
Sally Project, Brickbottom Gallery, Sommerville, MA
A Parallel Road, solo show, Abakus Projects, Boston, MA
A Parallel Road, Arles Photo Festival, Arles, FR
A Parallel Road, featured exhibition, Athens Photo Festival, Athens, Greece
2021
SALLY, Wellfleet, MA
2020
The Disappearance of Joseph Plummer, The Griffin Museum of Photography
American Geography, SF MOMA **Cancelled because of the Covid Pandemic**
2019
Mutable/Multiple, Format Photography Festival
The Disappearance of Joseph Plummer, Fordham University
2018
Photography Book Show, Benaki Museum, Athens, Greece
2015
Underground Railroad: Hiding in Place, (solo show) Adelphi University
Photography Book Show, Athens Photography Festival
In-Public at Foto Mexico
2014
Tough Turf: New Directions in Street Photography, Humble Arts Foundation
Disquiet (solo show), Citibank Cultural Center, Asuncion, Paraguay
Camera Club of New York Benefit Auction, New York, NY
2013
Book, Film, Painting - Stuart Pilkington Projects
Family, Detroit Center for Contemporary Photography, Detroit, MI
In Public - In Stockholm, Center for Urban Photography, Stockholm, Sweden
Ideas City Festival, The New Museum, New York, NY
In-Public: On the Street, Bangkok, Thailand
2012
Conscious Things, Picture Space, Bushwick, Brooklyn
The 2nd International Photography Festival, Tel Aviv-Jaffa Port, Israel
School of School of Visual Arts Thesis Exhibition, SVA Gallery, New York, NY
Emerging Artists Auction, Daniel Cooney Fine Art, New York, NY
New York: In Color, Howard Greenberg Gallery, New York
2011
From Distant Streets, Galerie Hertz, Louisville, KY
Street Photography Now, Fundacja. DOC. Warsaw, Poland
Street Photography Now, London Street Photography Festival
In-Public, Derby Museum, Format International Photography Festival, Derby, England
Street Photography Now, Uno Art Space, Stuttgart
Street Photography Now, Contributed, Berlin
2010
Street Photography Now, Third Floor Gallery, London
In-Public, Photofusion, London, May 28 – July 9, 201
3th Annual Friends of Friends Photography Show and Auction
2008
Picturing Cuba (solo exhibition), Cuban Art Space, Brooklyn
2006
Crosswalks: Contemporary Street Photography, Oklahoma City Museum
Here Is New York, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
2003
Life In The City, Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY
2002
Towards a New Era: Photographs from South Africa, Open Society Institute, Washington DC
2001
Here Is New York, New York, NY
August Art, Raw Space, New York, NY
South Africa (Solo Show), Madiba, Brooklyn, NY
Fort Greene Photo Association, Brooklyn, NY
2000
Fragments (Solo Show), Taranto Gallery, New York, NY
1998
New Photographs, The Park Gallery, New York, NY
MONOGRAPHS
A Parallel Road, fall 2020. Overlapse, London
The Disappearance of Joseph Plummer, fall 2017. Overlapse, London
Disquiet, spring 2013. Damiani, Italy. Text by Marvin Heiferman.
SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY
2021
Photobooks &: A Critical Companion To The Contemporary Medium, UCA, 2021
A Sweeping Look at American Landscape Photography, Peter Galassi, Aperture, 2021
A Photographic Exploration of The Evolving American Landscape, Huck Magazine
Sundown Towns Are Still A Problem For Black Drivers. BuzzFeed News
In 'Zola,' two exotic dancers' road trip descends into chaos, CNN
American Geography, Published by Radius Books
2019
Format Festival, British Journal of Photography
2017
Bystander : A history of Street Photography, 3rd Edition, Lawrence King, London 2015
Selfie, Ain’t Bad Magazine, December
2014
Exhibition Essay, Tough Turf, Humble Arts Foundation, February
Ten Minutes with Amani Willett, This is the What, April
Find Your Beach, The New York Review of Books, October
2013
Lenscratch, April,
The LPV Show – Episode 10, Spring
How to Start a Project, Fototazo, Spring
2012
LPV Magazine, Issue 5. November
2011
New York: In Color, Abrams, Fall
Fototazo, The Image, Summer Fototazo, Portfolio and Interview, Winter
2010
Street Photography Now, Thames and Hudson, Fall
American Photography 26, November
10ʼ 10 Years of In-Public, Nick Turpin Publishing, Spring
2006
American Photography 23
2003
Regeneration: Telling Stories From Our Twenties, Tarcher, Spring
2000
Popular Photography, April 2000
The Millennium Photo Project, Smashing Books!
Additional Selected Publication Credits: Adbusters, American Photography, Art in America, BOMB,
Harper’s, Newsweek, The New York Times, The New York Times Magazine, The Whitney Museum
SELECTED PRESS
2022
Best Photo Picks, June, 2022. What Will You Remember?
2021
Top Ten Photobooks of 2021 By David Campany and Vince Aletti. International Center of Photography
”A Parallel Road” on Yogurt Magazine
Eight Striking Images of New York Through The Decades. Mr Porter
Boston Artist Amani Willett Interrogates The Great American Road Trip In "A Parallel Road. Radio Boston
Fraction Magazine: Issue 143
Sundown Towns Are Still A Problem For Black Drivers, BuzzFeed News
Photo Eye review of “A Parallel Road.”
”A Parallel Road” on The Heavy Collective
Collector Daily review
Open Studio with Jared Bowen, GBH TV interview (starts at 6:00 minutes)
Review in Babelia, el País (Spanish)
British Journal of Photography
What Will You Remember?
*PetaPixel Great Reads in Photography – February 2021
*Buzzfeed 10 Photo Stories That Will Challenge Your View Of The World
*Book of the Month, February 2021 – Leica Fotografie International
Photographs That Look At The Black American Experience On The Road, Then And Now, “Buzzfeed”
Humble Arts Foundation Interview with Jon Feinstein, “The American History of Driving While Black”
Buzzfeed 10 Photo Stories That Will Challenge Your View Of The World
Boston Globe feature, “Picturing the all-American road trip (and its many hazards) for Black drivers”
Leica Fotografie International, Book of the Month, “A Parallel Road.”
Creative Boom feature, “Parallel Road demonstrates the inherent cracks in the American Dream”
Il Post (Italian), “A Parallel Road”
The Eye of Photography
Lenscratch feature by Aline Smithson, “A Parallel Road.”
2020
“Huck magazine” review of A Parallel Road
“Real Photoshow Podcast Interview” about A Parallel Road, with Michael Chovan-Dalton
“1000 Words Magazine” Top 10 Photobooks of 2020, Selected by Alex Merola and Tim Clark
“Lensculture Favourite Photobooks of 2020 – Selected by Kristen Gresh, Senior Curator of Photographs, Museum of Fine Arts Boston
“Photo-eye Favorite Photobooks of 2020” – Honourable mention by Jon Feinstein, curator
“Favorite Photobooks of 2020” – Elin Spring & Susanne Révy, What Will You Remember
“SVA Gift Guide Recommended Books,” New SVA Books to Gift this Holiday Season
“Polycopies 2020 Recommended Books”
“Ten Photo Books About Isolation From Before The Coronavirus,” Domus
“Best Photo Picks, What Will You Remember, February
“The Disappearance of Joseph Plummer Exhibition Review,” What Will You Remember, January
2019
“Amani Willett: The Hermit Joseph Plummer and The Lure of The Wild,” FT Magazine, January
2018
“Yogurt Magazine,” Feature, May
"The Disappearance of Joseph Plummer," Book Review, Phroom, April
"The Disappearance of Joseph Plummer," Book Review, Musee Magazine, March
"The Disappearance of Joseph Plummer," Book Review, Clavoardieno Magazine, March
"Project Spotlight: The Disappearance of Joseph Plumer," Photo Emphasis, February
"The Disappearance of Joseph Plummer," Book Review, 1000 Words Magazine, February
"The Disappearance of Joseph Plummer," Book Review, Lensculture, February
"The Disappearance of Joseph Plummer," Book Review, Fraction Magazine, February
"Disquiet" feature, This is Paper Magazine, February
"The Disappearance of Joseph Plummer," Book Review Foto Cult Magazine, January
"Getting Lost in the Woods," Huck Magazine, January
"The Disappearance of Joseph Plummer," Book Review, Black and White Magazine, January
"The Disappearance of Joseph Plummer," Book Review, Conscientious Photo Magazine, January
2017
"Best Books of 2017," Photo Eye Books, December
"Best Books of 2017," Humble Arts Foundation, December
"Best Books of 2017" Elin Spring (Photographic Resource), December
"Moors Magazine," "The Disappearance of Joseph Plummer" review, December
"Phroom Magazine," "Disquiet" feature, December
"Don't Take Pictures," December
"PH Museum," Review, December
"Photo Eye - Book of the Day," December
"Josef Chladek's Bookshelf," December
"II Post," "The Disappearance of Joseph Plummer" Review, December
"II Sole 24 Ore," The Disapperance of Jospeh Plummer" Review, December
"Photo N Magazine," December
"PDN Holiday Gift Guide Recommendations" November
"Lenscratch" feature, November
"Phases Magazine" November
"Lifo Magazine" feature, November
"Hyperallergic Interview" November
"Internazionale Magazine" November
"This Isn't Happiness" November
"Photo Eye" Interview with Adam Bell, October
"Loeil de la Photographie" - Feature, October
"Photo Book Store" Review of "The Disappearance of Joseph Plummer, October
"Le Monde de la Photo" Review of "The Disappearance of Joseph Plummer, October
"The Photo Show" Podcast interview, October
"Creative Boom" Bewitching books for Halloween, October
"Responses Photo" Review of "The Disappearance of Joseph Plummer, October
“Huffington Post” – Interview and portfolio feature, February
2016
“American Photography Magazine,” June
“New Books in Photography” New Books Network, December
2015
“Hiding in Place” on Lenscratch, February 2015
Bleek Magazine, August 2015
We Heart Magazine, November 2015
“Underground Railroad,” Selektor Magazine, October
2014
Harper’s Magazine, December , 2014
Possession Box, We Heart It, August 2014
Street, The Tree Mag, August 2014
Disquiet, Books are Nice!, July 2014
Disquiet, The Angry Bat, June, 2014
Disquiet, Joseph Chladek, May 2014
Disquiet Book Review, MutantSpace, February 2014
Disquiet feature, Broken Spine, February 2014
Disquiet, The New Frame, February 2014
Disquiet, Broken Spine, February 2014
Best Books of 2013, Photo-Eye, January 2014
Best Books of 2013, Mark Power, January 2014
2013
Favorite Books of 2013, Conscientious Photo Magazine, December 2013
Best books of 2013, PDN, December 2013
PDN “Exposures,” October, 2013
Photograph Magazine, Vince Aletti review, September 2013
Paper Journal, Disquiet review, August 2013
Fan the Fire Magazine, August 2013
LensCulture, August 2013
Beauty in Photography, August 2013
Disquiet Book Review, Photo Eye, June 2013
Disquiet Review, Conscientious Photo Magazine, June 2013
Disquiet, Le Journal de la Photographie, June 2013
Book of the Day, PhotoEye, May 2nd, 2013
The Real New York, Complex, Spring 2013
Booooooom, Spring 2013
Disquiet, PhotoHab, Spring 2013
Dark Side of the Moon, Spring 2013
Disquiet, Athena Magazine, Spring 2013
Disquiet, Design You Trust, Spring 2013
Hustle and Bustle, It’s Nice That, Spring 2013
Street Masters, DeviantArt, Spring 2013
2012
Photographs on the Brain, December, 2012
Photographs on the Brain, October, 2012
Verve Photo, March, 2012
Design You Trust, February, 2012
Le Journal de La Photographie, “New York: In Color” Review, February, 2012
The Gaurdian, “New York In Color “Review, February 2012
2011
LEO Weekly, “From Distant Streets Review,” November 2011
The Red List, Winter, 2011
2007
The F Blog, December, 2007
TALKS/PANELS
Lesley University, March, 2022
University of Leeds, May, 2021
Wellesley College, May 2021
MiniClick, April 2021
10 x 10 Photobooks Salon and “A Parallel Road” book launch, December 2020
Middlebury College, October 2020
Bitesize Bookfair by Impressions Gallery, October 2020
School of Visual Arts, September 2020
SVA i3 Series, School of Visual Arts, June, 2018
Hampshire College, Amherst, MA, October, 2017
Adelphi University, New York, 2015
Citibank Cultural Center, Asuncion, Paraguay 2014
Camera Club of New York, November 2013
Philadelphia Photo Arts Center, September 2013
School of Visual Arts, August 2013
International Center of Photography, November 2012
School of Visual Arts MFA Candidate Commencement Speech, May 2012
Howard Greenberg Gallery, Making Photographs in Color, February 2012
SELECTED PERMANENT COLLECTIONS
Museum of Modern Art
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Tate Modern Library and Archive, London, England
Sir Elton John Photography Collection
Library of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
Getty Research Institute Library, CA
Rose Museum, Brandeis University, Waltham , MA
Peabody Museum, MA
Cambridge University, England
The British Library, UK
Harvard University Fine Arts Library, Cambridge, MA
Duke University, NC
Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT
Fotobibliothek (Winterhur, Switzerland)
Rice-Aron Library / Marlboro College (Vermont, USA)
Numerous Private Collections
AWARDS
Aperture Portfolio Awards finalist, 2021
Herb Alpert Award Nominee, 2020
Daylight Photo Awards, Juror’s Pick, 2018
Shortlisted for PHoto Espana Photo Book of the Year, 2018
Review Santa Fe, 2016
Alice Beck Odette Scholarship Recipient, 2012
American Photography 23 and 26
Eddie Adams Workshop, 2000