As a mother of five Black boys Fisher told Because of Them We Can that she was inspired by the representation and pride she felt after viewing Black Panther. She saw the absence of newborns dressed as Wakanda citizens as an opportunity.
“I’m constantly seeing creative images that reflect the current culture. I’ve seen babies dressed as every super hero, the Disney princesses, cake smashes and birthday parties of every cartoon imaginable. It’s rare that anything representing Black Panther comes across my screen even with all the popularity.”
After Black Panther was nominated for an Oscar, Fisher began to ideate around what a series featuring newborns would look like.
“I drew a sketch of what each character would look like as a swaddled baby and shelved it for a few weeks, realizing it was a massive undertaking. After the movie both shined, and in my opinion was snuffed, at the awards show, I pulled my notes back out.”
While Fisher tells us she isn’t a seamstress, it might be hard to believe as she handmade each of the costumes pictured.
The final product is a masterpiece. Anyone who has ever photographed a newborn knows how much of an undertaking it is to get the right shot, but Fisher did just that times nine.
She hopes that her series helps people to reflect on the messages in the film and the opportunity we have to create our very own Wakanda.
“Wakanda might be imaginary but it’s a beautiful image of what could have should have and most definitely would have been if the narrative was different in the beginning.”
To find out more about this shoot or to view more of Fisher’s breathtaking work visit www.onceuponaflash.com.