A Celebration of Black Love, Intimacy, and Connection.
Black Love Archive transforms our understanding of relationships by illuminating the beauty, depth, and diversity of Black love and intimacy. Through visual storytelling and audio narratives, the project invites us to honor the many ways we love, care, and hold space for one another— recognizing Black Queer Love as a guide to Black liberation.
The Heart of the Archive
Through analog photography and in-depth interviews, Black Love Archive uncovers how Black people find resilience through loving ourselves and one another. The project captures candid, unfiltered moments of people in love, reflecting on their personal experiences with intimacy and vulnerability.
Photographed in the homes of couples, throuples, and polycules, these relaxed settings create space for love to be witnessed and felt authentically. This archive is a celebration of natural, honest, raw, tender and deeply human moments—reflecting the essence of the people who bring it to life.
Why It Matters
Black Love Archive is a platform for anyone curious about love and healthy relationships, especially queer individuals who may lack representation or frameworks for love in the media. By showcasing real, honest, and diverse stories of Black love—especially Black Queer love—this archive challenges societal norms and invites all people, regardless of sexuality, to imagine love beyond conventional and heteronormative ideas. It inspires us to seek connections that are radical, authentic, and rooted in care and honesty—not driven by power dynamics, but by genuine, healthy love.
Hi! I’m Tirzah Sheppard :)
Inspiration Behind The Archive
As a Black, Southern, Caribbean lesbian artist, I am deeply inspired by the communities that shaped my identity. Black Love Archive began as a way to explore and document the diverse forms of love, care, and intimacy within Black communities. Sparked by my curiosity about what it takes to foster a healthy relationship, this project honors the resilience and beauty of Black love in all its dimensions. It celebrates our stories and reflects my journey to understand and express love in a way that feels authentic, transformative, and true to the power of loving.
