Photographer Laylah Amatullah Barrayn Captures Creative Masks and Face Coverings

This Vogue spread highlights the ways in which residents in Brooklyn are using their face masks and coverings as opportunities for self-expression and creativity.

Tanika Williams and her daughter Svaha Williams pose for a portrait in Flatbush, Brooklyn. Photographed by Laylah Amatullah Barrayn.

Laylah Amatullah Barrayn has been photographing the eclectic masks that her neighbors have been donning during the pandemic. Wandering through Crown Heights, Brooklyn, Barrayn noticed that people's masks have turned into a mini statement about their own identity. “Even though their faces are obscured, people are still presenting their identity,” says Barrayn. “They are representing their cultural, ethnic, and national background through their masks.” You can view Barrayn's photographs at Vogue.