Rahim Fortune: "Hardtack" and Other Stories
Rahim Fortune's books—Hardtack (2024), I can't stand to see you cry (2021), and Oklahoma (2020)—reflect the artist's extended interest in the histories of documentary, portraiture, and landscape photography in the U.S. South through the photobook format.
Consisting of primarily black and white photographs, these three bodies of work offer glimpses of everyday life across Texas and Oklahoma through a lens of realism and dignity, where hard moments and histories are entangled with the abundant joys of contemporary life. Fortune employs a distinct form of visual storytelling focused on identity, family, community, and migration, often through the lens of his personal history and relationships. These entanglements are particularly clear throughout Oklahoma—displayed here as a printed series for the first time—which beckons viewers into the velvety tonal realm of the artist's early photographic explorations and childhood home before moving into the striking black and white documentary style that defines his ongoing Texas works.
Fortune's work provides a unique opportunity to reflect on the vast cultural experiences that enliven Texas and the US South during a moment of heightened attention towards Southern Americana. We are thrilled to be presenting this work in Austin as part of the artist's debut solo museum presentation.
Rahim Fortune: "Hardtack" and Other Stories, curated by Kaila T. Schedeen, will be on display September 12 to December 6, 2025. The opening reception with the artist is September 12 from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m.; all are welcome.
AGBS is free and open to the public.
Preferred parking is in the Brazos Parking Garage located at 210 East MLK Blvd, Austin, TX 78712.
Image: Rahim Fortune, Highway 290 Cowboys, Texas, 2021. Silver gelatin print, 16 x 20 in. Courtesy of the artist and Sasha Wolf Projects © Rahim Fortune
