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# In a New Journal, Women Photographers of the African Diaspora Shine
- URL: https://hyperallergic.com/mfon-journal-women-photographers-of-the-african-diaspora-brooklyn-public-library/
- Published: 2017-11-01T14:12:56.000Z
- Updated: 2025-11-24T16:26:17.000Z
- Description: Founders of Mfon speak about their new biannual journal at the Brooklyn Public Library.
- Author: Elisa Wouk Almino
- Tags: Art, Brooklyn Public Library, Events, #wp, #wp-post, #image-position-hidden, #Import 2025-11-24 07:30(2016, 2017, part 3)

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/51/f8/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a/content/images/hyperallergic-newspack-s3-amazonaws-com/uploads/2017/10/20--johnette-iris-stubbs.jpg)

Johnette Iris Stubbs, “Women In Water – Festa di lemanja, Salvador da Bahia, Brazil” (2001) (image courtesy the artist and Mfon)

In the above photograph, [Johnette Iris Stubbs](https://www.irisphotos.org/index/G0000ytrhJUOpkqI?ref=hyperallergic.com) captures a group of *baianas*, or women native to the Brazilian state of Bahia, making offerings to Iemanjá, an African deity known as the goddess of the sea. The poetic image, caught in the last moments of twilight, is one of many in [*Mfon*](http://mfonfoto.org/?ref=hyperallergic.com), a new biannual journal that collects the work of 100 women photographers from the African diaspora. Founded by the documentary photographer [Laylah Amatullah Barrayn](http://laylahbarrayn.com/?ref=hyperallergic.com) and the visual artist [Adama Delphine Fawundu](https://www.delphinefawundu.com/?ref=hyperallergic.com), the journal hopes to “fill a void while creating a space for intellectual discourse around issues represented by women photographers of African descent.”

To commemorate its first of many events at the Brooklyn Public Library, [Visually Speaking](https://www.bklynlibrary.org/calendar/visually-speaking-mfon-central-library-dweck-110117?ref=hyperallergic.com), a series devoted to conversations around visual art, has invited the journal’s founders to speak about their project with Grace Ali, the editorial director of the art activism-oriented [*Of Note Magazine*](http://www.ofnotemagazine.org/?ref=hyperallergic.com)*.* Unlike a lot of other art publications out there, this one seems to be contributing a new voice. I am especially curious to hear about the journal’s future issues, which promise to focus on fewer artists at a time and in more depth.

**When:** Wednesday, November 1, 7:30–9pm  
**Where:** Brooklyn Public Library (Prospect Heights, Brooklyn)

*More info* [*here*](https://www.bklynlibrary.org/calendar/visually-speaking-mfon-central-library-dweck-110117?ref=hyperallergic.com)*.*