The Pildas / Green Foundation

Los Angeles, CA – The newly established Pildas / Green Foundation announces its first release, a moving new photobook, Africatown, which offers an intimate and joyful portrait of one of Los Angeles’ most culturally rich weekly gatherings: the Sunday African Market in Leimert Park. Built on friendship, trust, and community exchange, the project captures the people, stories, and spirit that make this space a living celebration of life.

What began as a chance visit after a jazz benefit concert in the area quickly grew into a two-year journey of connection for Ave Pildas, the photographer behind Africatown. Drawn by the buzzing energy of the market, where vendors share traditional clothing, art, food, and music from across the African diaspora, Ave became a familiar presence. Over time, he was affectionately nicknamed “the picture man.”

Rather than a conventional documentary-style series, Africatown is the result of a deeply personal exchange. The photographer’s process is rooted in reciprocity, photographing marketgoers and returning the following week with printed portraits as gifts. Oftentimes, in return, he received not money, but more meaningful tokens of his new friends’ appreciation: home-cooked meals, handmade goods, and, most impactfully, mutual respect. This ongoing exchange became the foundation for both the relationships and the images that constitute the book.

The market itself is a vibrant crossroads of cultures, with attendees from Ethiopia, Senegal, Ghana, Morocco, Haiti, Jamaica, Trinidad, and beyond, alongside African Americans from across the United States. Each Sunday brings music, dance, conversation, and connection, all anchored by the rhythms of the renowned drum circle, led by Senegalese master drummer Dethie Saar Diouf. Within this energetic setting, Africatown captures a cast of unforgettable personalities who embody the resilience and creativity of the community.

Among them are Father Amde Hamilton, an original Watts Prophet, who contributes the book’s introduction; activist Mansa Moosa (Adrian Honeel), a leading voice in the Africatown Coalition; and beloved vendor “Big M” (Monty Daniels), whose gourmet salmon tamales have become a local sensation. The book also highlights artisans, healers, and everyday visionaries whose lives intersect at the market each week.

Acclaimed photographer, writer, educator, and host of The Candid Frame, Ibarionex Perello, contributes a thoughtful essay to the book, placing Africatown within the broader cultural history of Leimert Park. He reflects on the neighborhood’s legacy as a creative hub in South Los Angeles, recalling the influence of iconic spaces like The World Stage and the former Fifth Street Dick’s coffeehouse, which helped cultivate generations of musicians, poets, and artists.

Perello writes that Leimert Park has long served as “a cultural oasis in a community that was underserved yet deeply alive with creativity and resilience,” emphasizing its role as a place where culture is created, shared, and sustained. In Africatown, he sees that legacy documented, despite ongoing challenges such as gentrification and the loss of historic venues.

Highlighting the photographer’s approach, Perello notes that the images avoid spectacle or exoticism. Instead, they are grounded in presence and empathy. “The portraits feel collaborative rather than extractive,” he writes, describing the work as an affirmation of dignity and belonging. Across each frame, the subjects are not merely seen, but engaged: participants in the storytelling rather than objects of observation.

This sensitivity reflects a consistent thread in the artist’s broader body of work, which spans neighborhoods from Hollywood to Venice Beach to Skid Row. In Africatown, however, that sensibility finds a particularly resonant home. The photographs denote not just what the marketplace looks like, but what it feels like to be part of it: the rhythm of the drum circle, the exchange of goods and stories, and the joy of community gathering.  

More than a collection of photographs, Africatown serves as both a tribute and a resource, documenting a community while also supporting the people who make it up. Many vendors have used the images to promote their businesses, reinforcing the project’s collaborative spirit.

At its heart, Africatown tells a story about human connection: the interactions shared, the laughter exchanged, and the trust built over time. It is a reminder of photography’s power not just to document, but to participate; To create relationships and preserve moments of joy and cultural pride. It underscores the importance of spaces like Leimert Park, where history is not only honored but actively lived.

Africatown invites readers into a world where art and life meet every Sunday, and where every portrait tells a story of belonging. As a first publication from the Pildas / Green Foundation, Africatown sets the tone for the organization’s mission: to support and share meaningful photographic work that centers community, connection, and storytelling.