Rita Harper is a visual journalist from Atlanta, Georgia. A quiet child, she grew interested in imagery and observing her surroundings – both skills that have greatly benefited her work. With no formal art education, she began to take to the streets of Atlanta and discover a style of her own. She quickly realized the affinity she had for capturing the peaceful still moments of Black life and culture.
It is her mission to show the beauty of the everyday person. Rita has captured images of unsung pillars of tight-knit communities, to everyday people turned environmental activists fighting against powerful, faceless corporations. She aims to highlight and translate the beauty and narratives of everyday Black souls, as a reminder that all our lives have purpose, importance, and value. That you do not have to be famous to have a story worth telling.
Rita has received several grants and awards, including the BET Network Artist in Residence (2019), the Sprite X Wish Atl: The Give Back Artist Grant (2020), Southern Documentary Grant Award (2020), and the National Geographic Emergency Fund for Journalists Grant (2020), and the National Black Arts Foundation Grant (2022).
Her work has been featured in exhibitions nationally and internationally, including a recent group exhibition in Paris, and a solo exhibition in Atlanta. She has been commissioned by The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, National Geographic, ProPublica, The Guardian, and many more to visually illustrate stories of resilience, entrepreneurship, and preserved history in her own unique way.
