Eva G. Woolridge: Redefining Visibility, Power, and Black Queer Joy Through the Lens

Eva G. Woolridge is a force behind the lens—a visual architect who reshapes narratives, dismantles perceptions, and commands that we see ourselves in our full power. As an award-winning Queer, Black & Chinese conceptual portrait photographer, her work pulses with intensity, vulnerability, and unshakable truth. Every image she captures is a declaration—an unfiltered exploration of femininity’s raw, emotional, and spiritual essence, refusing to be confined by labels or expectations.

“There are spaces where we are affluent. There are spaces where we move culturally, passionately, soulfully, and intersectionally,” Woolridge explains. “Through my lens, I share representation that’s honest—not through the guise of colonizers or people telling our stories for us.”

Her art has been featured in Rolling Stone, Teen Vogue, Cosmopolitan, and Harper’s Bazaar, traveling from Seattle to New York, with each exhibition functioning as a reclamation of identity, power, and joy. Beyond photography, Woolridge speaks at TEDx events, the Schomburg Research Center, and universities nationwide, amplifying conversations on identity, representation, and equity within the creative industries.

Woolridge also transforms personal pain into visual activism. Her Leica Women in Foto Award-winning series, The Size of a Grapefruit, is both intimate and urgent, documenting her experience with ovarian cyst surgery while confronting systemic medical negligence and racial biases that disproportionately endanger Black women’s health.

“My work taps into specific sections within the Black community, especially advocating for Black women in reproductive spaces,” she says. “Through documentary work, we’ve always had resources to protect ourselves—Black midwifery care, doulas, aunties, mothers, and sisters who step in where the system fails us.”

Her upcoming documentary, In These Hands, expands on this theme, centering the stories of Black midwives, doulas, and birth workers across the United States. The film honors ancestral knowledge, community care, and the resilience of Black women reclaiming their bodies and birthing experiences.

But Woolridge’s lens doesn’t dwell solely on pain—it celebrates Black joy, queerness, and cultural vitality. She is currently working on a photography book documenting Black queer nightlife, archiving the vibrancy of pre-pandemic spaces and the shifts that followed. Her work highlights the power of connection, visibility, and celebration as acts of resistance against erasure.

“I hope people see themselves in a futuristic way,” she says. “I want them to see the manifested version of themselves through my work—the dreamer, the person they want to become.”

Expanding the ways audiences engage with art, Woolridge recently launched limited-edition jigsaw puzzles featuring her striking portraits, creating interactive experiences that invite reflection and communal participation. She also collaborated on the Because of You: Legacy in Focus LEGO set from Because Of Them We Can and Most Incredible Studio, emphasizing play, creativity, and shared memories.

“With a tangible item like a LEGO set, you can bring your community together—family, friends, anyone. You can laugh, reflect, and build something that holds meaning,” she says. “When it’s done, you don’t just have an object—you have a memory attached to it. That’s what makes it special.”

Looking ahead, Woolridge envisions her work as more than a visual archive; she sees it as a mirror for future generations, reflecting their limitless potential and reminding them of their worth.

“I want them to feel courage. I want them to be the biggest version of themselves,” she says. “Because I know I’m being the most authentic version of me—and all I can ask is for others to do the same.”

Through photography, activism, and storytelling, Eva Woolridge isn’t just documenting history—she’s shaping it, reclaiming it, and ensuring it belongs to us. Her work stands as a testament to the transformative power of visibility, truth, and unapologetic self-expression.