Black Boys Look Blue is a multidisciplinary project conceived, produced, and directed by Jesualdo Lopes, a Lisbon-born Bissau-Guinean curator and filmmaker based in London. The project aims to deconstruct, destigmatise, and explore the concept of masculinity among Black men, creating an intentional space where they can not only share their doubts and fears but also address the impact that social expectations have on their mental health and emotional wellbeing.
The Soft Launch
Black Boys Look Blue challenges the notion of how [Black] men should behave, act, or express themselves, with the aim of reaffirming their existence and sparking a conversation within the communities they are part of. Its inaugural version, though more streamlined, remains enriching and features the testimonies of three members of Lisbon’s Black LGBTQ+ community. Their stories will serve as the project's starting point, fostering a broader dialogue and highlighting the importance of archiving and owning our own narratives.
The Artist / Collective
The Blacker The Berry Project is a multidisciplinary arts collective championing emerging Black LGBTQ+ artists in Africa, the Caribbean, Latin and South America, and across the Diaspora through creative intervention. The collective – founded in 2021 by the Lisbon-born Bissau-Guinean curator and filmmaker Jesualdo Lopes, an artist whose journey has led him to become a versatile force in the realms of film, events and community activism – carries out a range of activities such as art exhibitions, club nights, workshops, residencies and an exclusive community retreat led by and for Black creatives in partnership with Vale de Moses, a family-run yoga facility in Castelo Branco district, Portugal.