SENI
Antonio Eugenio
RAW
London based photographer Antonio Eugenio evokes a tender, breathy intimacy in his images. Enraptured by those who dare to express their differences as loudly as they please, his portraits often capture a frank vulnerability and brazen sexuality. From looks to skin, touching to style, Antonio finds beauty in those completely intransigent individuals that life rarely breeds. In his words “whether we are talking about tattoos, style or faces: to my eyes, beauty lies in the uniqueness of things.”
His latest exhibition RAW will be hosted by design-led hotel Leman Locke during London Fashion Week Men’s in January 2018. This series of portraits celebrates the diversity within London in the context of political dissolution, focusing on young males from a wide range of backgrounds and cultures, from models to creatives.
We caught up with Antonio to discuss his latest project.
What was the inspiration behind RAW?
I’ve been inspired by the diversity here in London. When I first came here, I’ve been amazed to realize that being different here was not only tolerated but respected, celebrated and embraced. It’s been a while I wanted to work on a body of work that explores diversity and its influences in our current code of beauty within the male fashion industry. We are talking a lot about diversity in the industry, but mainly in a feminine point of view. I wanted to give my point of view on the topic, focusing on the male fashion industry.
How did you choose your subjects?
I wanted to have a good mix of my subjects between “real people”, mainly creatives here, and models. Instagram is great to connect with people. That’s how I found most of my subjects. I wanted to include a big part of models also to how the fashion industry changed his vision of the male beauty. They are still “fresh faces”, new to the industry, but soon, I’m convinced, they’ll be the new faces to watch.
What’s the message you would like to convey with this series?
This exhibition for me it’s a more of a celebration. A celebration of the diversity in London and its beauty. I wish to see more billboards in the streets or ads in magazines where diversity is more represented. I wish to see not only one kind of beauty but all beauties. I’m convinced the fashion industry is going in the right direction. We just need to be quicker now. I’m really glad also to have this specific body of work displayed in a lifestyle hotel as Leman Locke. Not only because the hotel is really gorgeous, but especially because a hotel is a place where people are coming from all the corners of the world. During their stay, they’ll have the opportunity to see what diversity means in London… on the wall of the hotel and in the streets of London.
Open to the public from 6 January, this captivating series will be installed throughout the 22 floors of the London lifestyle hotel.
