Boundary-pushing photographer Vonny Lorde has a point of view that must be witnessed. Merging grit, rhythm, and tenderness into compelling and striking work, their photos speak to artists and arts-lovers alike. Lucky for you — their latest exhibit, Will You Be My Disciple?, opens tonight at this year’s CONTACT Photography Festival, and you’re all invited. 

Will You Be My Disciple? contains a series of images of Black folks across the globe, from Tokyo to Toronto to New York. The exhibit was shot on FP100C film, a rare, discontinued Polaroid film that adds a unique tactile beauty to every image in the series. With a desire to populate this classic photographic style with the faces of Black people, and a calling to travel, meet, and create with people globally, Vonny is now sharing Will You Be My Disciple? with the world.

Vonny is passionate, caring, thoughtful and excellent at what they do. Everything you want and need in an artist today. We asked them some questions to dive deep into their process, the legacy of their grandmother, and why “touching grass” is just as essential to the creative process as focus is to frame. 

Can you share the concept behind Will You Be My Disciple? What inspired it?

I love Andy Warhol’s Polaroids. While studying his work, I couldn’t help but notice that he didn’t photograph a lot of Black folks unless they were famous. Even when I would search online to see other photographers that are currently shooting on FP100C, I wasn’t seeing a lot of Black folks. Considering this film is no longer in production, I wanted to change that. I wanted to showcase our people worldwide, so I figured, what better way than to travel the world and photograph Black folks? As for the name, Will You Be My Disciple?, it’s honestly just a silly play on my last name. This might sound corny, but I love that artists have “stan names” for their supporters. I call anyone who supports me and my work my “disciples”.

What’s your favourite piece in the exhibit and why?

It’s really hard for me to choose just one. As of right now, I think my favourite is of this older couple I photographed in Detroit as part of the You Matter Valentine’s Day campaign. Black love is so important, and so are our elders. In a society where we are constantly fighting against ageism, I think it’s important to highlight the beauty of growing older. Growing up is a privilege that I feel like a lot of us overlook. We should all feel blessed to live a long life, y’know?

You’ve mentioned that you’re inspired by your grandmother, who immigrated to Canada from Jamaica. How does her immigration story impact your work?

My grandma is one of the strongest and most amazing women I know. I remember her telling me that she came to Canada to visit a friend on a Wednesday, and by Sunday she secured a job. She did what she had to do to get my mother and my uncle up here. At the end of the day, I just want to be as hard-working as her. I’m not sure if the general public realizes how many hoops you have to jump through in order to immigrate somewhere but she never gave up. A true girl boss if you ask me. My work wouldn’t be what it is today if she didn’t take that leap of faith. It’s a constant reminder to keep going. There’s no me without her.

The photos from this exhibit were shot all over the world. Was there a city that inspired more creativity than others? 

I love NYC, it pretty much feels like my second home. Being constantly surrounded by so much energy and creativity definitely put a battery in my pack. How could you be in a city like NYC and not be inspired by all the people around you chasing their dreams? Every time I’m out there one of the first things I think about is how many Canadian artists would absolutely kill it out there if given the chance.

What kind of work goes into creating something like Will You Be My Disciple? What does a day in the life look like leading up to the exhibit?

I’ll start my day off with a homemade matcha latte, check our spreadsheets to see what I need to get done, touch base with the team, and simply get to it. I’m usually meeting up with my curator at a cafe to co-work for a few hours, picking up prints at Toronto Image Works, making multiple visits to the gallery, meetings with my manager…it’s really easy for me to get stuck in front of my laptop. 

With that being said, something that’s been helping me tremendously is touching grass. I need to dedicate a few hours to just being in a park with my feet in the grass and the sun beating down on me. I get overstimulated easily, so amidst the chaos I do need to factor in quiet time. Everyone needs to touch grass and ground themselves more.

In a world that often flattens or commodifies queer and Black expression, how do you protect the sacredness of your vision while still sharing it publicly?

I just do what I want. I’ve noticed that when it comes to queer and Black art, there seems to be a bunch of unspoken guidelines we have to follow to ensure that our work is even promoted to the masses. I don’t care about all of that. My work is an extension of me and I refuse to censor or water myself down just to make it easily ingestible to others. The boundaries I set really protect the integrity and honesty of my work.

How does your queerness impact the way you create, if at all?

To be completely honest, I don’t actively think about how my queerness impacts how I create. I’m queer, and therefore my art is automatically from a queer lens. In a world where trans rights are constantly being policed, I make sure to give my fellow trans folks opportunities wherever and whenever I can. We’re not going anywhere. We’re here and you’re gonna see and hear us.

What do you hope the public takes away from Will You Be My Disciple?

In a world plagued by despair and violence, I hope when people see my work they remember that Black joy is resistance. It doesn’t matter if you’re a young Black kid from the hood, an elder rasta sitting on stoop, whoever you are— you deserve joy. I really hope that people view my exhibit and remember that community, true community, is needed.

Vonny Lorde’s work is a celebration of community, care, and Black joy across borders. Will You Be My Disciple? is an invitation to witness, connect, and remember what it means to be seen. Don’t miss your chance to experience it in person at It’s Ok* Studios during the CONTACT Photography Festival from May 16 – May 29.