Ajamu X

**Ajamu X** (born 1963 insyd Huddersfield) be a British artist, curator, archivist den activist. He be best known for ein fine art photography wich explores same-sex desire, den de Black male body, den ein work as an archivist ein activist to document de lives ein experiences of black LGBTQ people insyd de United Kingdom (UK).
## Early life
Dem born Ajamu insyd 1963 insyd Huddersfield to Jamaican parents. Ein grandparents arrive for England insyd 1958 den ein parents follow insyd 1962. 

"impressively progressive for de times". He study Black History den photography insyd Leeds. While insyd Leeds, he den two friends create de magazine *BLAC*, an acronym for Black Liberation Activist Core. Insyd October 1987, after seeing it advertised insyd de newspaper *[[Caribbean Times]]*, Ajamu attend de first, ein only, National Black Gay Men's Conference wey dey hold at de Black Lesbian ein Gay Centre insyd Camden. By January de following year, he get to move for London.

Dem dey give him de name Ajamu insyd 1991; it means "he hu fights for wat he believes".

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## Career
Ajamu's work often highlights stories of black LGBT people hu he feels are often marginalise from mainstream British Society; additionally he dey choose to focus for those hu are black ein openly "out" ein dem families dey accept dem.  Ajamu talk says he rejects de claim dat Jamaican culture be particularly homophobic ein believes dat homophobia exists across cultures ein families of all backgrounds.

He often speaks of ein work as a "sex activist"; he has run "sex parties for men hu want to have sex plus men" since de 1990s, den same-sex desire ein pleasure are recurring themes insyd his photography. Ein first major exhibition *Black Bodyscapes*, insyd 1994, e focus for de private sexual realities of black gay men. More recent projects include *Fierce: Portraits of Young Black Queers*. an exhibition of 24 portraits of a "…new generation of Black ein proudly out young, emerging den establish talent" at London's Guildhall Art Gallery insyd 2014 ein *I Am For You Can Enjoy* plus Khalil West, at Contact Theatre, Manchester, insyd 2016, wich uses photography ein video, to explore de lives of queer Black male sex workers den their clients. Ajamu dey describe himself as an "artist hu has created an archive" den, in addition to ein art practice, continues to document black LGBT experiences.

Insyd 2000 Ajamu ein Topher Campbell co-founded *rukus! Federation* an "arts company wey dey dedicate to celebrating den showcasing de best insyd challenging, provocative works by black lesbian, gay, bisexual den trans-gender artists nationally den internationally." Ajamu be de Archive Manager "De Black LGBT Archive Project", a major initiative to develop an archive collection on "Black Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual ein Trans-Gender heritage, history ein live experience insyd de UK". Insyd 2008 Ajamu co-curated de exhibition *Outside Edge: a journey through Black lesbian ein gay history* at de Museum of Docklands. De *rukus! Black Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Cultural Archive* be deposite at London Metropolitan Archives insyd 2010.

Ajamu be de subject of Topher Campbell's first film *The Homecoming: A Short Film about Ajamu* insyd 1995. De documentary film *Brixton Recreation plus Ajamu,* wey dey directe by Danny Solle, wey feature ein experiences of cruising den sex as an out Black gay man insyd Brixton.

Ein fine art photography be insyd national den international collections including de Gallery of Modern Art insyd Glasgow, Autograph ABP, den de Neuberger Museum of Art insyd New York. Ajamu be co-chair of Centred, an LGBTQ community organisation, insyd London's Soho.
## Selected exhibitions
* 2019 *Diasporic Self – Black Togetherness as Lingua Franca,* Framer Framed, Amsterdam (14 dec – 17 feb 2019)
* 2016 *Khalil West and Ajamu - I Am For You Can Enjoy*, Contact Theatre, Manchester (4 February - 18 June 2016)
* 2013 *Fierce - Portraits of Young Black LGBTQ people by Ajamu*, Guildhall Art Gallery, London 
* 2012 *Future Histories*, Street Level Photoworks, Glasgow
* 2011 *Queer Self Portraits Now*, Fred, London
* 2010 *Photoshow*, Leslie-Lohman Museum of Gay and Lesbian Art, New York
* 2009 *Familiar Strangers*, Gallery of Modern Art, Glasgow
* 2004 *Hidden Histories*, Walsall New Art Gallery, England
* 1997 *Transforming de Crown*, Caribbean Cultural Centre, New York.
* 1994 *Black Bodyscapes*, Camerawork, London
* 1992 *From Where I Stand*, Brixton Art Gallery, London
As Curator:
* 2016 *Curatorial Resident*, Visual AIDS, New York 
* 2008 *Outside Edge: a journey through black British lesbian den gay history*, Museum of Docklands, London

## References