Belonging: Paris

Knight (African-American male Knight (African-American male who became a French resident) at his apartment in the 18th Arrondissement of Paris (2023).

Tonika Lewis Johnson, “Colette at Stade Jean-Bouin” (2023)

Tonika Lewis Johnson (2023)

Discover the hidden DNA connecting the City of Chicago and the City of Paris in Tonika Lewis Johnson’s mesmerizing project, Belonging: Paris. This innovative endeavor extends the momentum of 2020’s Belonging, now taking its narrative transatlantic.

In 2023, Tonika embarked on a residency at Ateliers Médicis in Clichy-sous-Bois, a Parisian suburb. This predominantly French-African community, geographically isolated from Paris, faces a higher unemployment rate than other parts of France.

Drawing parallels between Clichy and Chicago’s South Side birthed Clichycago in 2021. Under this umbrella, Tonika expanded the Belonging project to weave the stories of young Black adults who grew up in the area, illuminating shared experiences across continents. These stories offer a profound understanding of discrimination, the lasting impact of colonization, and the echoes of inequity in France, resonating deeply with Tonika’s largely American audience.This work is part of the Chicago exhibition Passages: Photographers Respond to Chicago and Paris, which runs from May 4 to August 25, 2024. For more information, visit the Villa Albertine event page. It’s a revelation of just how closely intertwined French narratives are with our own.