SENI
Akif Hakan Celebi
Throughout Akif Hakan Celebi’s artistic practice, the American photographer of Turkish origin ultimately aspires to push the boundaries of conventional graphic styles and travel beyond the realms of photographic manifestation. An inspiring, contemporary example of a talent who excuses himself of the traditional judgments of photography in order to amalgamate styles and techniques as he so desires, Celebi’s aesthetics diversify from fashion shots and artistic nudes to stylized productions and portraits of sensuality. Committed to staging fantastical presentations that illustrate an engaging narrative to spectators, Celebi’s photographs appear as though they are freeze-framed like in a film mid-screening, which reflect styles of ‘Expressionism’ and radiate cinematic qualities.
Implementing a dichotomy of modern trends amid visual arts with the individual innovation he extracts from a variety of great films (i.e. the Far East), Celebi aims to conjure an atmospheric zeitgeist that results in visually impactful and revolutionary outcomes. “I am mostly inspired by the works of contemporary Japanese artists like Araki, Toshio Saeki, Shuji Terayama and many others less unknown”, explains Celebi, “but at the same time the people I encounter and the places I have visited also make an impact on my works.”
He unveils music to be an additional fundamental inspiration, which frequently sets the tone and essentially echoes his editing style and the assortment of photos that he has captured. “It is a mixture of all those things that make me want to create and that naturally brings about a style that distinguishes my works,” confirms the fashion photographer.
Japanese hotel rooms, arid landscapes, and overpopulated Chinese cities translate into his typical photographic scenes that capture different personalities and emotions, all through a riot of intoxicating color combinations. “I am always trying to keep my works fresh so I tend to travel a lot,” explains Celebi, who has been unearthing the Japanese Rope Bondage scene in Tokyo for the last 2 years and hopes to collaborate with Japanese AV actresses. “My next target for discovery would be Korea as I have only been there once for 4 days. I like to explore the scene more in detail in the future and see what it would add to my work.”
Pioneering the next level of fashion photography with an undeniable, futuristic-like edge, Celebi infuses fine art and photo-journalistic aspects with a sense of lavish, sensual, and beautiful solidarity that captivates a constant gaze.
