In great company - Chicago welcomes the Dandy Lion Exhibit by Shantrelle P. Lewis

So honoured to be exhibiting with an array of gifted artists I admire. This Exhibition has been meticulously curated & and presented by Shantrelle Patrice Lewis and the Museum of contemporary Photography and it opens this week in Chicago. 

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November 2014 Cover of The Salon Magazine

Photography / Art Direction by Arteh Odjidja
Lighting Assistant Nicholas Hayes
Hair by Chris Foster
Makeup by Sarah O'keefe
Model Darius London

This Fine Social Scene! Listen to my radio interview with Luchia Robinson for East London Radio.

http://eastlondonradio.org.uk/?p=3026

Follow the link to listen to my interview with Luchia Robinson for East London Radio.

Jamie Cullum for the Yamaha Ad Campaign shot by me at Abbey Road studios - Photography by ©Arteh Odjidja

ART OF MONOCHROME BY ARTEH CREATIVE - SAMSUNG & RANKIN PHOTO COMPETITION ENTRY

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London Moments 19/2/14

Lovely to meet and photograph Richard E. Grant on Savile Row yesterday. Slightly surreal :) as I'm a big fan - but i got through it and managed to focus my camera at f/0.95 to give him real prominence in the portrait. What a nice gent! 

All images ©Arteh Odjidja / Arteh Creative.

London Moments 19/2/14

Wonderfully random days in London are my favourite. The ones that bring unplanned but welcome instances. Yesterday my day began at the crack of dawn in east London's Shoreditch, tracking down and snapping the latest street artworks left by the anonymous artisans that dedicate their time and talents to decorating the east ends's numerous walls shop fronts, bins, lamp posts, bridges etc etc with ambitious and intricate artworks in an array of energetic styles.

That was my morning, by early afternoon I was at work in London's Mayfair where I teach Leica owners how to master their new cameras, with hands on tips and techniques.

As I mentioned London can be a very random place at times, but wonderfully so. Walking along Savile Row I came across a super dapper gentleman whom I had to introduce myself to and find out a little more about. I mean what a great outfit. We had a great conversation and he told all about his favourite tailors and a bit about his life and I got a picture, to remember him and also plan my own style in 30 years. My cloak will have a green lining though!

All images ©Arteh Odjidja / Arteh Creative.

NEW OZWALD BOATENG 2013/14 CAMPAIGN SHOOT BY ARTEH CREATIVE

PHOTOGRAPHER ARTEH ODJIDJA

ART DIRECTION KK OBI II

STYLING SELOM AMOA

MODEL JOSEPH MENSAH

All images ©Arteh Odjidja / Arteh Creative.

Art of Monochrome 11th Dec - Open Studio Event by Arteh Creative for Leica Camera at Leica Mayfair Studio S

All images ©Arteh Odjidja / Arteh Creative.

Great to be shortlisted for the AOP awards 2013. With this photo from my 'Stranger in Moscow' series.

Great to be shortlisted for the AOP awards 2013, 

From 1500 entries, this image is amongst the 61 shortlisted for the exhibition and the top prize.

(Image from 'Stranger in Moscow' series by Arteh Odjidja.)

©Image copyright Arteh Odjidja. 

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Stranger in Moscow by Arteh Odjidja - featured in Joshua magazine Issue ONE - issue out now!

Opening night of my STRANGER IN MOSCOW Exhibition on Savile Row. 6th June - 5th July 2013.

The opening night saw the Ozwald Boateng store on Savile Row full to bursting with fans of modern black and white photography and creatives from all spheres of art world. It was wonderful to see so many people engage with the story of the  STRANGER IN MOSCOW.

Read on:

Stranger In Moscow  is a series of photographs that shine a light on a young man’s story, and highlight the feelings of displacement and vulnerability felt by so many living in foreign environments, far from their country of birth. Their aim being to better their own lives, and those of the ones they love. The social struggles faced by such people has defined the modern world we live in.

‘‘Habdulay Vilhette - is a young man that I met and befriended on my recent trip to Moscow. After hearing his story he became my archetypal Stranger. At the age of 14 Habdulay left his home country of São Tomé and Principe a small Portuguese speaking island off the coast of west Africa, to begin a life of study in Portugal. After a disappointing start to his studies Habdulay took time out to re-evaluate and decided to study medicine. Having heard of the excellent academic programs Russia had to offer, he set out to relocate again with Moscow in mind, not knowing what to expect.

Two and half years later in October of 2012, mine and Habdulay’s paths met in Moscow during the rigorous casting calls for the Ozwald Boateng runway show, for Moscow Fashion Week. Habdulay arrived on the third day of castings with a large group of other young hopefuls, vying for the opportunity to join Ozwald’s fashion army on the runway. Habdulay stood at 6ft 3 inches tall, well built, and dark in complexion. He radiated strength and confidence with a youthful swagger. Adorned in colourful Pan-African jewellery and vibrant fashion choices, most noticeably a long beaded metal bar through his left ear. He struck me as a young man naive to his social environment, after all Moscow isn’t a city famous for it’s multi cultural tolerance. After living there myself for only a few days, and despite having met some wonderful people in Russia. It was clear from the lingering stares of some, and on one occasion a tirade of verbal abuse hurled my way as I walked down the street, that I was very much a stranger here and therefore not trusted by all.

Delving deeper into his story, I realise it’s not naivety that allows him to be so brazenly defiant in his outward appearance. It’s the indignation of being made to feel that he should be anything less than who he is, no matter where he lives in the world. Straight to the point, he warns me of the dangers of being black in Moscow and proceeds to chill me with stories of violent incidents he’s both heard about and witnessed in the city. Being fluent in English, Portuguese and now Russian, Habdulay is a sharp streetwise young man with a knack for knowing how to take care of himself. Which is why I expect he radiates such inner confidence in who he is, and what he plans to do with his time in Russia.

Moscow has become Habdulay’s home over the past two and a half years. He now has a close circle friends, a job that keeps him busy, whiles also studying medicine full time. These grounding elements in his life help Habdulay miss his tiny island home of São Tomé less. But his deep affection for his country is clearly evident as he repeatedly expresses to me his ambitions to return home one day with skills and passion to improve conditions there. Once he has completed his studies and gained experience in his field.

On our last day in Russia, Habdulay and I - with a small team planned to meet at his student accommodation in the Ulitsa Miklukho-Maklaya street area of Moscow city. Having conquered the catwalk only the night before, Habdulay was still on a high. So I took the opportunity to shoot Habdulay head to toe in Ozwald Boateng, against a hand picked selection of monumental Russian backdrops.

The work aims to challenge our preconceived ideas of Russian society, and to juxtapose Russia’s old world image with its newly emerging face of multi-culture, mixed ethnicity and revived economic prosperity. Moscow is an epic city dripping in history, that left me with an experience that will linger in my heart and mind for a long long time.’’

Fear makes Strangers of people who would be friends.


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Black + White Photography Magazine - JUNE issue - FASHION ARMY by Arteh Odjidja

- If you haven't already done it, make sure you pick up a copy of this month's Black + White Photography magazine (June issue) to read my interview and Fashion Army feature with Max Houghton. it's a good read!

Pick up a free copy of the mag at my 'Stranger in Moscow' exhibition - Currently on at the OZWALD BOATENG flagship store gallery - 30 Savile Row, London. 6 JUNE - 5 JULY 2013.

All Images ©Arteh Odjidja 

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