Chester Higgins Showcased in Brooklyn Museum’s Anniversary Exhibit at Tadias Magazine

Chester Higgins, Jr. stands by his work featured in the Toward Joy: New Frameworks for American Art exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum. Also known for his evocative images of Ethiopia’s landscapes and cultural icons, Higgins’ photography in this exhibition showcases his expansive artistic vision, highlighting his versatility and long-standing connection to Ethiopia’s beauty and spirit. (Courtesy photo)

Tadias Magazine

Updated: November 11, 2024

New York (TADIAS) – Chester Higgins, Jr., an American photographer whose timeless images of Ethiopia have deeply resonated with the Ethiopian community, is currently featured in a landmark exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum. Known for his evocative portrayals of Ethiopian landscapes and people—from the ancient churches of Lalibela to the caves of Sof Omar, and from historical figures like Emperor Haile Selassie to cultural icons such as Poet Laureate Tsegaye Gabre-Medhin—Higgins has, for decades, captured the beauty, depth, and spirit of Ethiopia and its people.

Higgins is featured in the exhibition Toward Joy: New Frameworks for American Art, an installation marking the Brooklyn Museum’s 200th anniversary, designed to broaden perspectives on American art and introduce new voices. The exhibition, which runs through January 26, 2025, reimagines American art through a fresh lens, spotlighting historically underrepresented cultural creators and exploring diverse cultural roots, connections, and expressions.

The Brooklyn Museum’s 200th anniversary lineup is expansive, with installations that invite audiences to experience art in novel ways. In the press release, the Museum shares, “How might American art be experienced at this moment? A transformative reinstallation of the American Art galleries reorients the ways that the Brooklyn Museum exhibits—and audiences rediscover—this acclaimed collection. A kaleidoscopic display offers paradigm-shifting interactions with millennia of art.”

For the Ethiopian American community and all art lovers, this exhibit is an invitation to revisit Higgins’ profound contributions, especially in the company of artists whose voices echo the themes of resilience, joy, and re-imagination that he has long explored. This is a wonderful opportunity to experience Higgins’ compelling work alongside the Brooklyn Museum’s visionary milestone exhibition.”

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If You Go:
The exhibition is on view until January 26, 2025, at the Brooklyn Museum in New York.

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