A series of studies by the Sinai Urban Health Institute in Chicago and the Avon Foundation for Women recently shared the grim statistic that black women are 40-70% more likely to die from breast cancer than white women in the U.S. A new photo series by photographer Kea Taylor in collaboration with Andrene M. Taylor goes beyond statistics.

According to a recent article on the project in Slate,

The Exposures Project, a collaboration between Taylor’s nonprofit, ZuriWorks, and photographer Kea Taylor (no relation) seeks to reflect that reality by giving a face and a voice to black women living with cancer. The first phase of the project was educational: Kea spent 12 weeks teaching the women, who represent a range of ages, backgrounds, and cancer diagnoses, how to document their own experiences through photography. Later, Kea spent time with each of the women and captured their daily lives. Finally, each of the women sat for a portrait session with Kea and an interview with Andrene. “What I like about the photos is that they show the complexity of this experience from a diverse group of women,” Andrene said. “It’s important to humanize this experience in a way that captures both the ugliness of cancer and the beauty,” Andrene said.

For more images and information visit, Slate, and Kea Taylor.