In August, we shared with you the pleasant news of Prince Gyasi, the first black photographer to shoot the Pirelli calendar.
Commissioned by Pirelli Calendar for its 50th edition, the Ghanaian photographer set out to create images that are Timeless, the theme for this year’s Pirelli Calendar.
This year’s calendar boasts of phenomenal appearances from stars: Actor, Angela Basset; Actor, Idris Elba; Model, Naomi Campbell; Poet, Amanda Gorman; Author, Margot Lee; Singer, Tiwa Savage; French Soccer Star, Michael Desailly; Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, King of the Asante people of Ghana… and other interesting names.
The Calendar was shot between West Africa and London and the visual artist chose an all-black cast for his showcase, shooting some of them where they have ancestral ties. The 28-year-old artist models who he said have inspired and helped him through his phenomenal career.
In an interview with CNN, Gyasi says “I named it ‘Timeless’ because most of these people defy time. They’ve been able to touch certain heights and open doors for people like me to be able to come in. I wanted “Timeless” to be empowering for the subjects, and for other Africans.
We’ve been given the platform to make sure our voices are heard. We are using the opportunity to redirect what people have heard over the years – their interpretations of our culture, traditions, what we believe in, who we are as a people.”
The images by Prince Gyasi will be released later this year.
