25 Creator Labs artists explore what it means to belong
Twenty-five photographers and filmmakers shared their interpretations of ‘Be Seen, Be Heard, Belong’ for Season 7 of Creator Labs — our incubator for artists that started in 2019, in partnership with SN37. This work builds on the conversation our artists started earlier this year about what it means to be truly seen with new images reflecting the celebration of community, identity and motherhood — all created on Google Pixel 7 Pro.
Community emerged as a universal theme this season, with 10 artists touching on it. Artists Glassface, Cruz Valdez and Aidan Cullen celebrate the comfort of a creative network.
Cruz Valdez's work
Meanwhile, Andrew Thomas Huang, Coyote Park and Mayan Toledano examine queer community.
Andrew Thomas Huang's work
Lelanie Foster’s work explores her subject through motion and stillness — using paint to emphasize the artful form of the female body.
Lelanie Foster’s work
Myesha Evon Gardner’s piece ‘Our Bodies, Ourselves’ focuses on the archetypes of Black women who have pursued plastic surgery for varying reasons. Myesha redefines themes of legacy, labor, love and beauty in underrepresented communities. ”Through the subjects of vanity, body, and self-reflecting portraiture, I study the profoundly complex role of a Black woman, as the person and individual she/they are often stripped down to a singular value,” Myesha says.
Myesha Evon Gardner’s work
June Canedo de Souza and Kennedi Carter took unique approaches to motherhood with their projects. June crafted self-portraits with clay, documenting her solitude and reflection as she approaches giving birth.
June Canedo de Souza's work
Kennedi, a new mother to her son Atlas, reflects on the beauty she felt during pregnancy. “The glow that encapsulated me, the weight I had gained, the care I took of my body, how closely I observed my bodily changes, as well as the process of worship I engaged with my partner surrounding my body,” Kennedi says. “Beauty is a phenomenon that will continue to evolve and shift over the course of one’s life, and now I miss feeling enamored by my own body.”
Kennedi Carter's work
Although 25 independent explorations, the work from Season 7 represents the breadth of creativity and diverse storytelling that artists can create using one unified tool: Google Pixel 7 Pro. As Andy Jackson notes, amplifying these voices “allows them to be heard and belong in a conversation that will cement timeless imagery.”
All imagery from Season 7 and the previous six seasons are available to view at creatorlabs.google.
