True to the subject: The artwork of Harper Bella

To honor the dignity and elegance of an older generation requires a simultaneously forward, expansive thinking along with a humble, quiet reasoning. In artist Harper Bella, that dual spirit is found bountiful in her work that explores the meeting of worlds and the unification of beauty through the esteem of the subject.

"My grandmother fought hard through tough moments," said Bella, "but she said, ‘Even if you only have one T-shirt and one pant, you still walk into the world with your head held high.’”

Bella approaches her artwork, especially photography, with a deep respect for her subjects, who are not merely models to convey her work but also a guiding light in the final product.

Beth Giacummo, executive director of Patchogue Arts Council and the Museum of Contemporary Art, said of Bella’s work, “From the first time I experienced Harper’s work at a NYFA Bootcamp, I was so excited to see more and watch her continue to develop her concepts. Her work is a true reflection of her thoughtful and selfless soul. She is a delightful artist to work with through all aspects of organizing an exhibit, and her enthusiasm for taking her work to new levels and mediums is exciting to see. We will definitely be seeing more impactful projects from Harper Bella.”

Reminded of a story about photographer Sally Mann's famous portrait of a woman breastfeeding, Bella recalled loving the picture until she read one day that the subject felt exploited and robbed of her true story, as the photo made her seem destitute and weak when in fact, she was working diligently to overcome her circumstances.

"When I take photos, I want to be sure I am telling the true story, capturing all facets," said Bella, "and especially that I'm capturing the subject's viewpoint accurately."

In her most recent series, “Flower of Honor,” Bella went to essential workers to photograph them in their place of work with gilded plumage, meant to signify the gravity and beauty of their steadfastness during the pandemic.

What she found were stories of inspiration mired by the fallout of capitalism and classism, where essential workers, particularly in retail, were mistreated and callously ordered to serve those who assumed they were above them.

The resulting photo series captures the quiet repose and self-respect of the essential workers at times tinged with sadness, and others beaming with pride even through the veil of a mask.

"After finding out the real story behind the Mann photo, it was really important to me that everything conveyed in my artwork was true to the subject and true to my message," said Bella.

In her black-and-white series, “H.A.I.R. (Respect is Achieved Here),” Bella wanted to focus on natural hair and the alternately freeing and caging nature it has on Black people, particularly women.

"I didn't realize how political hair can be," said Bella, "but when I had my hair in an afro and had someone tell me to 'go back to Kenya,' it was jarring."

“H.A.I.R.” is meant to "have no grey line, no distraction," said Bella.

The series, however, is not meant to disparage or discourage relaxing treatments or woven hair, but rather, as Bella's portraiture captures, that women are making a conscious and wanted choice about how their hair is presented.

"The melting pot is real," said Bella, "but this means we need to educate people to understand the reality of our experiences."

A seasoned traveller, Bella's work takes on an international scope with “Primitive Wilderness,” where model gorgeous women in African and West Indies-inspired attire storm Harlem with deliciously color-saturated fruits.

"Their heads are held high," said Bella. "They are proud of who they are, where they come from, where they are, and where they're going."

Clearly possessing the photography chops to be a successful fashion photographer, Bella's “Primitive Wilderness” would be at home in the pages of Vogue.

"I am deliberate in my choices of composition," said Bella, who is a painstakingly accurate set designer on her more elaborate shoots, yet able to capture photos with speed and even an element of subterfuge, like a photojournalist during her “Flower of Honor” series, which was shot in the moment and on-site.

John Cino, who personally selected Bella’s work with “Flower of Honor” for an exhibit at the Museum of Contemporary Art this winter said, “Harper Bella has seen much of the world. She has travelled to nearly every continent with a passport worthy of a foreign correspondent or someone twice her age. Whether she is across an ocean or around the corner, her photographic images bring a sense of dignity and grace to her subjects. She takes us into hair salons and constructions sights, she visits immigrants to our country and is a keen observer of life in other countries. In the time of COVID, she has stayed close to home and has photographed the unsung heroes who have kept or country from closing down.”