Interview:
A Day With
Awol Erizku
By JGM Staff on February 21, 2012
One of our favorite New York City artist and photographers, Awol Erizku recently sat down with Blowhiphop TV to talk about his come up and passion in his artistry. Young and independent, Awol is one of the most underrated in the concrete jungle. Little do people know he is responsible for shooting A$AP Rocky & A$AP Ferg‘s first music video “Get High” as well as shooting a video for The Suzan. Amongst his amazing photo work and art installations, his creative direction is just as awesome. He has two art shows coming up this year that you will read about on here, you don’t want to miss them so make sure you look out for those. This interview below takes you on a day with Awol as he shows you his process of creating and also some of his hobbies. Enjoy the few words with Awol.
“Pop-culture has a lot of influence on my work. I like to re-contextualize art historical pieces with a twist of pop.” Awol Erizku
The young, Bronx-raised photographer Awol Erizku’s work is gaining considerable attention. A 2010 graduate of Cooper Union, he has managed, early in his career, the elusive feat of a solo show that opens tomorrow night atHasted Kraeutler here in New York.
At a time when I see many young artists struggling to keep it going, someone like Awol Erizku demonstrates what is still possible. Of course, going to a prestigious school and having a mentor like David LaChapelle wouldn’t hurt anyone’s career, but Awol Erizku didn’t grow up advantaged. His portrait work reflects his community while inserting this community—through photography—into a greater art historic context, one where African American (and other people of color) are never well represented.
These photographs merit attention. They are beautiful and they captivate. In this short video Erizku’s passion and commitment to producing great work (and paying respect to his roots) look to be the real deal. I look forward to seeing the portraits first-hand and to pondering what’s next for this young artist. —Lane Nevares
