Albino Yea

This work by Miguel Ángel Sánchez depicts a bare-chested man, framed in an Italian-style composition with a slightly low-angle shot. The man holds his face in his hands, turning it toward the light. His slightly parted mouth and facial expression give the impression of a clear distinction between the character’s will and that of his hands. The blackness of his skin gradually blends into the darkness of the photograph, creating an intense chiaroscuro that reveals the influence of Italian painting and Spanish Baroque on Miguel Ángel Sánchez’s work. This penchant for contrast is reminiscent of Caravaggio’s works and allows the artist to infuse the composition with a dramatic touch. He thus aligns with the traditional canons of art history, while simultaneously breaking free from them by highlighting a Black body—a subject that has been vastly underrepresented in art. The model is Albino Yei, a refugee artist from South Sudan, whom Miguel Ángel Sánchez photographed near Cairo, where he lives.