Florian Koenigsberger (XXVI): Race and Identity Through a Photographer’s Lens

Understanding one’s identity, race, and sense of belonging is a lifelong process. For Prep alum Florian Koenigsberger (XXVI), that process has led him through renowned schools on the East Coast, career opportunities in California, and across international borders in Europe and South Africa. While his journey is far from over, his passions have led him full circle to practice his craft and his profession in New York City.

The son of German and Jamaican immigrants, Florian didn’t think much about the lack of diversity in his school or social surroundings growing up, until he was admitted to Prep for Prep. Here, he discovered a community of students of color—all bright, curious, and talented, each equally capable of achieving anything. From challenging himself among his new friends to soaking in the examples of leadership from older Prep students, Florian began to explore where he belonged as someone with a biracial background different from most of his peers. “Prep planted the seed,” he reflected, “for a lifelong search rooted in belonging, equality, and representation.”

Throughout his time at Collegiate and Yale, Florian explored his creative passions. He ran an eco-friendly t-shirt company, performed in musical theater, and even modeled in a fellow Prep student's senior project fashion show. His interest in photography began in high school, when he learned to develop film and was encouraged by his teacher to show his work to others. Florian later began to take photos, both commissioned and for himself, of major cultural events such as Afropunk. Yet while his photography began to gain validation from others, he began to question his own work. "I don't think I understood why I was doing it for me," he shared, "and my work did not document my own story or history."

A pivotal moment in his journey was a photography trip to South Africa at the end of 2019. In a place where “Coloured” was a government-defined category under apartheid, Florian wanted to understand the stories of those who self-identify as mixed race and have reclaimed that label as a proud representation of their racial identity. In the process, he hoped to discover more about his own sense of place and belonging. It was both a nerve-wracking and transformative experience. “I had to overcome a lot of self-doubt,” he said. “Do I believe in my own ideas, and am I willing to invest dollars in this and be okay with whatever outcome?” He met with several young South Africans and spent hours discussing each person’s stories, and shared his own experiences as a biracial man in the US. He then staged photo shoots in their homes and in nature, capturing intimate and powerful moments. While photographing one subject in Hanover Park, which is estimated to be 97% Coloured by population, local children who were intrigued by the camera joined in the shoot. Florian chose to use a classic Hasselblad medium format film camera, meaning he couldn't see any digital previews of his images. The slow, deliberate process allowed him to immerse himself fully into the moment and trust his craft. Whatever was developed from that film, he would accept as part of his photography series, Coloureds.

His exploration of race, identity, and art exploded in the public eye this past spring, when Florian helped launch See in Black, a collective of 80 Black photographers seeking to dismantle white supremacy and systematic oppression after the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and other Black people at the hands of law enforcement. “I was originally approached for this idea for my project management skills,” Florian recalled, “by a great Ghanaian American photographer, Joshua Kissi, because I had worked with him through Google.” He and other collaborators wanted to help alleviate their community’s collective grief. “At a time of such racial turmoil, I remember feeling deeply exhausted and felt I could not go out to photograph the protests,” Florian said, “so I asked myself, where could my skills, passion, and impact overlap?” 

While he was originally tapped for his management skills, See in Black became a platform where Florian also shared his work as a photographer. Through print sales of highly-curated original images for its “Black in America” theme, the collective raised over $500,000 between Juneteenth and Independence Day for organizations that support key pillars of Black advancement: civil rights, education and the arts, intersectionality, community building, and criminal justice reform. “The medium was effective,” Florian said. “The results were extraordinary.” See in Black was picked up by national news and arts platforms and became a space not only to raise funds for nonprofits, but also to celebrate the beauty and joy in Black communities.

Florian’s artistic journey has at times overlapped with his professional role at Google as a product marketing manager, but it’s important for him to evolve his artistry outside of work. His career was jump-started in part by Prep’s programs, with a Google BOLD internship in San Francisco that helped him explore roles at the tech giant. He reconnected with Prep when he was seeking to give back. He is a regular alum speaker at Google career panels, describing his work on improving cameras to become more inclusive of all users and skin tones. This summer, he also spoke to Art Academy students about his photography. He advised the students, “You don’t have to go all the way into a field to be a part of it. You can be the artist, but you can also be the manager, producer, appraiser, or teacher.” He was deeply impressed by how Prep has applied the rigor of its academic programs to the arts for current students.

Florian’s ongoing journey to shape his identity and find belonging has come full circle to overlap with Prep for Prep.  He recently became aware of the Prep in Arts alumni affinity group and is leaning into their shared interest in art and storytelling. He is finding inspiration in this community of creatives of color who share the same foundational experiences of Prep, but have gone on to very different lives in a variety of fields. “I realize we all have moments when we may drift from a place,” Florian reflected, “but Prep is a core pillar of my path. I encourage all alumni to reach back and share their passions with students and with each other. There is power in this Prep Community.”