Photographer Cheryl Fox has a long-standing history of documenting celebrity lifestyle, using her gift to capture the spirit of her subjects. She began her professional career in photography after studying at the School of Visual Arts in New York City, establishing a unique balance within the fine art, commercial and editorial worlds of photography. Her images have appeared on Showtime, HBO, FOX, American Idol and more, and her work has been personally commissioned by and/or gifted to many of the celebrities she has photographed.
At EBONY FWD, Fox is showcasing 50 images from her rock ‘n roll of HIP HOP Limited Edition coffee table book, along with three NFTs. The book is a nod to Hip Hop’s 50th Anniversary and consists of 20 years captured from 2000 to 2022 through the artist’s lens of life. Consisting of never-before-seen images of icons in and around the culture that went beyond the music and became brands themselves, the book features Pharrell, Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige, Jay Z, Beyoncé, Rihanna and more. “I call them the rock stars of Hip Hop,” she shares. “The book is a limited edition of 500.”
EBONY: When and how did you discover your love of art?
Cheryl Fox: In my early college years, I would collect Vogue and Elle magazines, one by one. I had tons. They were stacked up 3 feet high, all the way across a wall. I always thought it was the fashion I loved and it was. It wasn’t until I was older I discovered my true draw. After being suspended from Hampton University in my senior year, I went home and my parents said, “If you want the rest of your education, you’ll pay for it.” So I did. Not only did I graduate with honors from Kean University, I took a dark room class to make the time there more exciting. We were required to take pictures in our free time to develop in class. It was then that I became captivated with how images came to life on the paper in the solutions. I became a fan and started collecting black & white photography all over New York. It was then I realized that it had been the photography in the magazines that drew me to collecting one cover as opposed to another.
How do you describe your artistic medium?
My artistic medium is photography. I make two-dimensional NFTs out of the images as well.
What messages do you impart through your art?
Through my art, I’m able to capture and present the authentic love, light and beauty of the Spirit that embodies all of us, that is seldom seen to the eye, let alone captured. That’s my message as an unconditional lover of all God’s creations. It’s by far a gift.
How are you moving Black art forward? How can the world support and nurture Black artists?
I’m moving Black Art forward one step at a time by being present and a voice, especially in the fine Aat world. Although once reserved for the very wealthy and traditional, not many Black artists were represented by fine art galleries that were primarily frequented by white patrons and housed White photographers and artists. Now, my work is in the homes of White people and so many other nationalities. I opened the door to share my art with the world by self-publishing a body of my work and partnering with different entities, like the private members-only club Soho House to tour several houses and have conversations about the art. The world can support and nurture Black artists through representation, commissioned assignments and collecting the work to warm their homes and businesses. Brands can present more opportunities for us to tell stories from an authentic and different point of view. We all have stories to tell, and no two are the same.
