Kyle Weeks captures the style and energy of African men

And it seems that this prospect resonates. In 2016, Weeks was honored at the Magnum Photography Awards for its 2015 series “Palm Wine Collectors”, which captures Makalani palm pickers from the Kunene region of Namibia typing palm trees to create a nourishing moonlight. That same year, he had a solo exhibition at the National Art Gallery of Namibia.

"Francis. Cape Point Three. Ghana" Credit: Kyle Weeks

Since then, Weeks has been exhibited everywhere from the Red Hook Labs in Brooklyn at the 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair in London and has won orders from Vogue Italia and the New York Times.

Spread the “good news”

Over the past four years, Weeks has traveled regularly to Accra, Ghana, for continuous work. What started as a loose investigation into Ghanaian virility has become a project that highlights the immense creativity of the city's youth.

On one of his first trips, Weeks held a little fashion shoot with local models, who arrived with plastic bags full of their own clothes to wear. A bag, with "Good News" printed on the side, became the working title of the series – a proper refutation to the negative titles with which he grew up.

"Prince. Accra. Ghana" Credit: Kyle Weeks

At first, Weeks was struck by the manifestations of manifest masculinity in Accra: muscles and motorcycles. "There is a very rigid idea of ​​what masculinity should or should not look like," he says. But spending more time in the city, he met many creators who overturn preconceived notions of virility.

"I run into a person and they give off that great energy," says Weeks of his subjects, including rappers and performance artists. "When you photograph a character like that in a space like this, it's almost as if the space is transforming."

"Shakes (born of boredom). Cape Town. South Africa" Credit: Kyle Weeks

Finding an easy relationship with other men of the millennium, they have become the focus of most of his work across the continent. "It is much easier for me to approach men as foreigners than for women," he explains. "So, naturally, throughout my personal work, there is always an emphasis on the representation of African men."

"My fashion editorials play on similar themes," he continues. "I mainly photograph men's fashion stories and make sure to use a diverse cast to counter the whitewashing that is so prolific in today's fashion industry. 39; hui. "

However, he made some exceptions. Ibrahim Kamara, London-based and London-based fashion editor, went to Accra last year to shoot a story for M Le Magazine du Monde entitled "Alpha Women" – a departure for Weeks with her depiction of women powerful. In this story, a woman stops circulation in the snakeskin from head to toe; another is looking at the camera, dripping with chains of gold, with two men at his feet.

"Little Black. Kinshasa. DRC." Credit: Kyle Weeks

"It seems to be a male dominated society, but once the door is closed and you are at home, it is in fact so often the mother who manages the household and calls the shots ", he says.

Power and portrait

In Accra, Weeks walks the streets in search of characters who stand out from him. By doing this as a white man with a camera around his neck, he is often met with skepticism.

"I'm clearly a stranger and I can't expect everyone I ask to agree (to have their photo taken)," he says. "As soon as I emphasize that it is because I think they have a great style, or because I am interested in what they are doing, then they are very eager to participate."

"Brotherhood. Cape Town. South Africa" Credit: Kyle Weeks

Although Weeks, who is currently based in Amsterdam, often comes from a different background from his subjects, there is common ground that they share and which he hopes is visible for a wider audience. "I want to use the photographic medium to shed light on the rising culture of young people in Africa, and it is through engagement with my peers that I am able to tell this story," he says. .

As evidenced by the warmth that radiates from his images, it is imperative for Weeks to give his subjects control over their presentation. During his studies at the Stellenbosch Academy of Design and Photography in South Africa, he discovered the history of documentary photography on the continent; a practice largely dominated by white men who would take complete control of the image they produced, thus reinforcing harmful stereotypes. "I got to the point where I was so concerned with the ethics of who can tell what story and how, that I stopped taking pictures for quite a long time because that I was so hyper aware of my position, "he said.

"Shadraq and Bennett. Accra. Ghana." (Extract from "The cleanest beak in the block" for i-D) Credit: Kyle Weeks

Thus, for its first series "Ovahimba Youth Self Portraits" (2014), featuring young Himba shepherds from northern Namibia, Weeks gave the trigger to his subjects. Usually portrayed as royal and "other," in these images, they pose confidently in their best sportswear. When the series ended, Weeks came back to give them all the impressions of their portraits.

"I think you can set up an agency among the people you are photographing by not controlling them with your idea of ​​what you are trying to achieve," he says. "It is about trying to create images with a sense of openness and awareness of people's history."

"Rich, Jay and Collins. Cape Town. South Africa" Credit: Kyle Weeks

Going forward, Weeks hopes to develop his intimate portrait on the continent and publish "Good News" in book form.

"My intention is to take beautiful, positive photos of people from Africa and just let it guide me wherever I travel to do the work I do."