Could you share with us the impetus and inspiration for
Again, again I rise?
Marcus Riggs: This was my first shoot after taking a long unexpected break from photography after I moved from Paris to Berlin. When I did light the fire under my ass to shoot again, it was in the midst of the craziness of 2020, especially with the BLM movement making a dominant appearance in Europe. Watching the police savagery on social media tends to bring up past trauma in those who have experienced it firsthand. From the global pandemic, being confined to my home, and feeling the distance of my family in the US, to racism being an open hot topic in every direction of my life, I decided to make a decision in how I wanted to process it all for myself. I chose to put my feelings of anger; the memories of blatant mistreatment due to the colour of my skin; my frustration, disgust, and irritation into my photography to create something beautiful in a world where so many ugly things are being thrown at you