Cecil McDonald Jr

I am most interested in the intersections of masculinity, familial relations, and black culture's artistic and intellectual pursuits, particularly as this culture intersects with and informs the larger culture. Through photography, video, and dance/performance, I investigate and question the norms and customs governing our understanding of each other, our families, and the myriad of societal struggles and triumphs. I studied fashion, house music, and dance club culture before receiving an MFA in Photography from Columbia College Chicago. I currently serve as a lecturer at The School of The Art Institute and as an adjunct professor at Columbia College Chicago.

My work has been exhibited nationally and internationally, with works in the permanent collection of The Cleveland Museum of Art, Chicago Bank of America LaSalle Collection, and Museum of Contemporary Photography. I was awarded the Joyce Foundation Midwest Voices & Visions Award, the Artadia Award, The Swiss Benevolent Society, Lucerne, Switzerland Residency, and the 3Arts Teaching Artist Award. I participated in Light Work’s Artist-in-Residence program in July 2013. In 2016, the first edition of my monograph In The Company of Black was published and was shortlisted by the Aperture Foundation for the 2017 First PhotoBook Award.

Visit his site at www.cecilmcdonaldjr.com