When he describes his journey to becoming a visual artist, Prince Gyasi draws on a host of memories and experiences from his childhood in Ghana; from days spent with his musician grandfather to assisting a portrait photographer in Accra's market places.
He used to visit recording studios and TV and radio stations with his parents, who are renowned gospel musicians.
And he spent time sketching, using his computer's early drawing program, doing sculpture and IT, and generally finding alternative ways to create.
“I was always thinking of what people have done that I can add to, or that I can do differently,” he says. “When I look at the 14th century, the Renaissance artists' paintings, they mostly, in my opinion, painted like they sneaked in places/spaces and photographed the subjects. And so, in a reversal, I'm photographing like a painter. I put my power to that. And that's what I'm doing.”
Composing the canvas
On set with Gyasi for the Pirelli Calendar in London and Ghana, you can see that artistic approach in motion as he takes images of talents as diverse as Hollywood actress Angela Bassett and French former footballer Marcel Desailly in sets ranging from a melting clock to a giant red heart.
Each shot has been meticulously planned in advance: Gyasi thinks of an idea for the set and composition for each person he is photographing and sketches it, before 3D renderings are developed and the set is built. His images are captured by a static camera.
“I know how I'm going to put the talent in my canvas,” he adds. “Everything is done before getting on set. You always have to think of a Plan B, but I don't like doing things in the moment, because it [seems] kind of messy for me.”
But what Gyasi does do in the moment is be himself – chatting to the talent to put them at ease, performing in a video and even carrying out some of the post-shoot interviews for social media.
Every inch, the Renaissance man.
Where did you start in your thinking about how to tackle the Calendar project?
I started from highlighting who I wanted in the Calendar and what they represent to me. Going back to my childhood, looking at people who inspired me – it's so clichéd to say ‘inspired me', but they genuinely did. And picking up elements that I think were really important, that were key moments for me – when I saw [that person] for the first time, or the second time, or the last time, before I even met them in person. I took all of that into consideration.
You chose a very personal, autobiographical approach which is really unusual…
Yeah, because, at the end of the day, you want to do something that will be impactful and people can always remember that this is the most personal calendar that's ever happened.
We know that you found the iPhone a good way to create images when you were starting out. How did your career progress from there?
I would say I'm a self-taught artist, because I never studied photography. I studied art itself, like painting, picture-making, and then I did sculpture and carving. And so my background was more about that sector. But when I came out of high school it was more about creating a bridge or touching on something that nobody's touched in the community I grew up in. It was building a style that people can easily identify when they see me or see my work.
And then did putting your pictures on Instagram help you get discovered?
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Social media played a big part. I mean, that's what everybody's doing now, that's what you have to do. You can touch a lot of people without travelling, so it's very important.
Do you have any major influences photography-wise?
[The 20th-century American photojournalist] Gordon Parks, maybe. I just like that he was photographing black people in a graceful way… and reality. But when you say ‘photography wise', it's very hard for me to say, because I don't really have a lot of influences in photography. It's more like Yves Klein, James Turrell etc. I get more meaning in sports, music and other sectors.
You used a static camera to take the images for the Calendar, rather than a roving handheld approach, why was this?
It's more about the message and the art. You have to premeditate what frame you're going for and what message you're trying to convey. It's an art piece.
Did shooting the Calendar ever feel pressurised?
I've always been myself, everywhere. There's no pressure if you're prepared and know your vision. God's timing is always the best.
What do you hope to achieve with the Calendar?
I hope to send a message to the youth and let them understand that they can do whatever they want to do if they put their mind to it and they're consistent enough; high-level consistency, not mediocrity. Letting them understand that if I'm 28 and I've been able to do this, then they can do [what they want to do]. Also telling them to find their own voice and their own blueprints so they're not picking up someone else's blueprint to build their mansion. Also, you might relate to my struggles and stories, but you have your own stories and struggles. You're the only one who can express that. Don't use any other person's voice to say that, only yours.
Absolute freedom is when you don't speak from your mouth, but we hear you. Freedom is art.
When she was interviewed after her shoot with you, the American writer Margot Lee Shetterly, author of Hidden Figures, talked about the idea of “pushing to break down barriers for yourself so that other people can then walk behind you”. Do you feel you're still pushing down barriers?
Yeah, I feel I'm still doing that. I'm trying my best to do something that will be remembered and so that the next generation, or someone else coming after me, will be trusted. It's all about trust. It's all about doing a great job so that it will positively affect other artists.
