At  what age did you start having an interest in art, as an expressive means?
 Well I didn’t have a great time at school as I was severely dyslexic and would often skip it, by the age of 10 I found that the only thing I was good at was art.
Over time that naturally became my main focus and I knew from an early age that’s what I wanted to do.
I actually quit school in the end and was home tutored, all my art lessons were one to one, my own mentor in a way. In my early 20’s I applied to C & G London School of Art and did my BA and Masters in Fine Art there, and I have been making work ever since.




















You have said that you are fascinated by various underground belief systems.
What is it about them that you find intriguing and how do they inspire your work?
The stories, it’s all about the stories and the people behind them. Who are these people? Do they really believe what they are saying is true?
I think most of them generally believe what they see or what they have read is to be true, and I find that fascinating. It’s not so much that I believe in these conspiracies, it’s more the social and psychological systems of belief which underpin them. I think I’m slightly obsessed with the subject to be honest,
I’m constantly watching videos on UFOs and conspiracy theories, and once I entered down that rabbit hole I couldn’t find my way out again.

Over the years I have found that these belief systems are a never ending loop of paranoia and fear.
It can be quite sinister and toxic, so it’s best to keep it at arm’s length. My more recent work is a lighter hearted take on the UFO phenomena, using book cover art from the 50s and 60s. I feel these where more innocent times and were the peak of UFO sightings.
The UFO thing is something I’m always coming back to in my work, it’s my anchor so to speak. It’s the launch pad from which I start to paint.




















Do you think that contemporary art really expresses or speaks for our times? In what way?
Looking back at history, yes art can express and speak for our time. Art reflects our culture, our mood, our political systems at that time, but only by looking back over time it becomes clearer and easier to articulate. It will be interesting to see what the future says about our time, it feels like a strange world at the moment.
The art world feels more complex, it feels like there are billions of artists out there and they are all looking at each other, comparing each other’s work instead of looking within themselves. You can easily drown in the sea of social media if you are not careful.





















When starting work, is it an inspiration that you follow or rather an inner need to express something of yourself?
For me making work is a personal thing, I do it selfishly for myself. As I know that if I didn’t make art I wouldn’t feel like me, I wouldn’t be happy. It’s a need that’s hard to explain, but the first feeling is to make, and the rest follows.













In what way does living in an era of “post-truth” affects the work of artists?
I can’t speak for all artists, I can only speak for myself but I do feel we are living in an increasingly strange and confusing world, where hubris and "double-speak" rule the roost. When the 'truth' is indistinguishable from a lie.













Is there something in the art world that you could change given the chance?
Diversity would be a good start, I would like to see artists from more varied backgrounds. The art world is quite elitist and I only feel like it’s getting
worse with tuition fees and high studio rents.
 












How important is fashion and a sense of style in your everyday life?
My style is quite minimal, I wear the same 5 shirts (not at the same time). I know what I like and stick to it until holes appear.


















richardstarbuck.com

For WAD magazine n° 53 / Cocktail

For WAD magazine n° 53 / Cocktail



How old were you when you first started having an interest in photography, as art?
At the time, what was it that you liked to take photographs of?
In 2004, I studied Design of Information in the Art School of La Chaux-de-Fonds (CH). When I was in my second degree, I realised that I wanted to improve in photography. In 2011, I graduated from ECAL/ University of art and design in Lausanne, obtaining a BA in photography. During my studies I developed a curiosity, sensitivity and a particular focus towards the world around me. For few years now, my research has been focused on African identity through Western eyes.











Zulu Kids










YaKalaBen



You grew up as the daughter of a Guinean mother and a Swiss father - in what way did your Guinean and
Swiss heritage influenced the way you view the world as a photographer?
I think to be a mix of cultures is a great wealth. I am an African-European, born in Switzerland.
My parents instilled in me both cultures and shared their history as well. When I began at ECAL University of Art and Design, I knew that I wanted to deepen my knowledge about my African heritage and I decided to focus my work on African culture.






Khoi San






Marlène





For WAD magazine n° 53 / Cocktail




For your project Ya Kala Ben, you write that you have studied "ritual artifacts common to the cosmology of Guineans; statuettes
that are part of a ceremonial structure”. What drew your interest to these artefacts in the first place? And what is the feeling or impression that you want the pictures that were inspired by them to convey to the viewer?
 All I knew before the trip was that my mother is muslim and that my father is a protestant, although I’ve not been baptized. The religious aspect of my mother’s country became very prominent. I discovered an animist side to the Guinean culture which is based on people’s respect for it. I had been exposed to the supernatural part of Guinea as since I was a child, I visited ‘marabouts’ (some type of witches) and this time around took part in many ceremonies and rituals. And for me it was important to do this work, because now I feel more aware of this situation, the existence of a parallel world, and the world of spirit.

I selected the elements meticulously for the functions of my picture.  This world is based on rigour, with everything in its place. 
While recontextualizing African elements through my camera, I bring them into a framework for Occidental taste and aesthetic choices.  I try to transform and put a symbol back into Western intention. I am particularly interested in the attribution of religious or mystical qualities to inanimate objects known as fetishes. The myths, the force of nature, and the deep, intuitive, impulsive culture of Africa offered me a lot of creative inspiration. My approach was to separate those sacred statuettes from their religious context in order to immortalize them in a Western framework.












The African Queens – New York magazine











Zulu Kids




 Does taking pictures of people who are not professional models pose specific challenges to you?
I like working with non professional people. They don’t try to be fake.





















YaKalaBen




What part does fashion play in your life?
While making ‘Ya Kala Ben,’ I was inspired by African statuettes; but there is another context and another meaning, fashion wise.  I enjoy fashion photography, and sometime I draw on that to make sure the series isn’t boring.











Zulu Kids




namsaleuba.com

Zaî, Goddess of liberation, mystery of creation and wind.






Hyê, Goddess of the maternity, kindness and antics.




You have said that "It is always easier to create out of love.
For this reason, my universe is defined by creative goddesses, who are on an epic voyage of transformation journeying towards light and abundance.”
How did you meet and choose your creative goddesses?
I just start to create them with the inspiration that I have at the moment. They come from a magical place that I keep inside of me.
It all happens spontaneously.
And the gifts that each goddess brings, also arise while I' m creating.






Cîz, Goddess of initiatory journeys, predictions and hope.






celestial goddess




What was the inspiration for your goddesses? Does each one of them stand for a side of you, maybe?
I think that the inspiration goes back to my childhood, to the time that I would play and create a
parallel, phantasy universe. That magical place still lives in me.






Lah', goddess of the secrets, the vanguard and clarity





Lüf, Goddess of skyline, pranks and telepathy.




Do you have your own personal mantras? What are they about?
Do you share their wisdom with the people close to you?
I think it is important for the evolution of human beings to be connected with love, nature and spirituality in any form. That is why it seems to me that it is
important to create mantras which inspire people to connect with them.









Øbå, Goddess of transparency, perseverance and reason





Celebration





Apart from the goddesses, you have also created other pieces like the Mystic, the Gnome, or the Love Party - do they belong to the same artistic universe as the Goddesses?
They come from the same place; they may me different as to their techniques, forms and colours, but they have the same DNA , the same magic, the same perfume.







Koÿ, Goddess of Winter, insight and hugs.





Måû, Goddess of harmony, lucky strike and coincidences.





How important a role does fashion play in your life? Do you care about following it closely or from afar?
I love fashion, it is another way to express ourselves; I'd rather have my own personal style,
something eclectic and romantic. I do not like to dress as if I’ve sprung out of the pages of a magazine; I think it’s better to have your own style. It is always more interesting and original.






¥ün, Goddess of vanity, second chances and eternal recurrence.



chuteppa.com