Adraint Bereal: As It Appears opens Oct. 16 at the Visual Arts Center, bringing the artist’s nationally recognized The Black Yearbook project back to the campus where it began
When Adraint Bereal (B.F.A., Design, 2020) began photographing and interviewing Black students at The University of Texas at Austin in 2019, he wanted to document experiences that often went unseen. The resulting project, The Black Yearbook, grew into a nationwide exploration of Black student life through intimate portraits and deeply personal narratives.
Now, Bereal returns to UT Austin for his first institutional solo exhibition, Adraint Bereal: As It Appears, on view at the Visual Arts Center from Oct. 16 through March 5, 2027.
The exhibition features the largest presentation of works from The Black Yearbook series to date, bringing together more than 30 photographs, essays and recorded conversations with Black students attending colleges, schools and universities across the United States. The works appear alongside archival photographs, documents and video from UT Austin and other sources, placing contemporary student experiences alongside historical materials.
Bereal’s project began during his senior year at UT Austin and expanded to include students at historically Black colleges and universities, Ivy League institutions, public universities and trade schools. His work documents the joys, challenges and complexities of Black collegiate life, emphasizing the individuality of students whose experiences are often overlooked.
The project gained national attention, including features in The Atlantic and the New York Times in 2020, and was published as a book by Penguin Random House in 2024.
Now based in New York, Bereal works across photography, design and creative direction. His work has appeared in international exhibitions and publications, and he has directed campaigns and rebranding projects for global brands.
Curated by VAC Director Max Fields, As It Appears opens Friday, Oct. 16. Bereal will lead an artist-guided tour of the exhibition at 4 p.m., followed by an opening reception from 5-8 p.m. Both events are free and open to the public. Space for the artist-led tour is limited. Registration is required.
Learn more about Adraint Bereal: As It Appears and register for the artist-led tour.