We’re thrilled to introduce you to 2022’s cohort for The Originals Creator Network – a 12-month educational initiative for emerging young creatives in London.
In partnership with adidas and GUAP, these 20 talented young folk will participate in creative workshops led by industry experts and will be provided with access to brand mentors commissions to work on live Originals projects.
The Originals Creator Network has been founded in partnership with youth-led digital media platform GUAP, a creative network and agency with years of experience in nurturing young talent and building diverse, creative communities on behalf of under-represented young Londoners.
Together, adidas and GUAP will facilitate a programme of activity that will aid the development of each participant and become a positive catalyst for the journey of the next generation of talent.
ADE COKER
Ade Coker is a London born Nigerian visual artist who practices in the medium of film and photography. Exploring themes of identity, culture and heritage across global communities, his work shows an honesty and graceful beauty in the black experience. In 2019 he had his international debut exhibiting Masqueraded Memoirs, a multimedia art installation championed by Kodak, Westway Trust and Cinelab exploring black identity in Britains social landscape informed by the archives of his late father photographer/activist, at the Lagos Bienal 2019. Following successful reception and interest from cultural institutions, he was invited for an Artist Residency in Lagos 2020. He’s since exhibited “Irírí” at The Gallery Leicester, featured in BBH’s Beauty and Power in the Everyday exhibition, co-directed a short film Juvenile Consciousness on Vogue Italia’s platform and co-directed music videos for Warp Records.
ANT BELLE
Ant Belle is a non-binary Camera and Lighting Assistant and Creative Portrait Photographer based in North London. With a background in YouTube and BA in Philosophy, Ant works as a freelance filmmaker and stills photographer. Having invested a year deepening their technical knowledge in their work as a Camera and Lighting Assistant, Ant is thrilled to push their skills to new creative horizons as part of The Originals Creative Network. In 2022, they aim to facilitate more inclusive projects, empowering individuals to own their narrative and communicate it directly. Ant’s use of bold colours and striking cinematic visuals taps into their subjects' fear and vulnerability - challenging the viewer to shift their own perspective, and reconsider their own humanity through the context of the marginalised.
CHENIECE WARNER
Hey there! I’m Cheniece, a North London based Multidisciplinary Artist working amongst the mediums of movement, photography and poetry. I am interested in exploring individual and collective human experiences and building cross-disciplinary works in collaboration that invite people into the spaces created. I am also an Art and Dance Documentary Photographer, a ‘fly on the wall’ for creatives who are in a deep period of making. Capturing the subject, discussions, explorations, BTS then developing a collection of images that represent the overall experience and give insight to the lightbulb moments throughout the process.
DESTINIE PAIGE
Destinie Paige's work explores the unseen beauty in the everyday experiences of women and people of colour. Using photography, film, set design her imagery has a trademark use of rich colours and elaborate staging that playfully blend inspirations from cinema and fashion to redefine the picture of black culture and femininity. During a highly successful 2020, she was featured in Vogue, Grazia, and The Evening Standard. In 2022 she had recently curated her debut exhibition "BLK BXY JOY" .
ELISA MAZZUCA
Originally from the Sicilian east coast, Elisa Mazzuca formed her own critical and artistic awareness by merging love for the visual arts with her strong Sicilian identity. She moved to Florence in 2017 where she studied Graphic Design and Photography, and in 2021 in London, where she is currently based. Interested and dedicated to art from a very young age, Elisa has never stopped exploring new possibilities between different disciplines. In fact, she integrates her documentary approach to photography with design, illustration and digital art studies. Her main areas of interest and exploration are kaleidoscopic Mediterranean culture, photography that celebrates the beauty of everyday life, human-centered design and our relationship with technology. She doesn't like to give herself a specific term to describe her own artistic practice, as being creative means being free and transcending all categories and labels.
HOPE SPALDING
Hope is a Graphic Designer and Illustrator who moved to London in search of creative opportunities after studying in Sheffield for four years. Versatile and unafraid of experimentation, her work focuses on merging analogue and digital techniques with the aim of creating unique and striking artwork for a range of purposes from branding to editorial design. Physical making plays a key part in her work; Hope’s process very much relies on starting away from a computer where she can freely experiment with materials, printing and composition. Mindful of the growing importance of sustainability within design, it has become a core principle in her practice. As a young designer entering the industry during a climate crisis, it is her responsibility to ensure that her outputs are not at a cost to our environment. Recently, she has been building her skills in craft; designing and making rugs, and screen-printing patterns to later construct into unique clothing pieces.
IZZY MULLEY
Izzy Mulley is a Fashion Photographer and creative whose work mainly focuses on femininity and manipulation. She believes it is important as an artist to use your specific experiences to create positivity and uplift others where possible, and therefore weaves mental health into her works. Colour is a very important element within her work and is often considered at the very start of her projects. She loves expression - the way you can direct the body and face to create a feeling or portray a concept. Izzy is a massive fan of escapism; being able to create your own perfect world is something that’s always fascinated her.
KELIS GRAHAM
I am Kelis Graham, aka Kreative Kelis, an 18-year-old photographer and filmmaker dedicated to using these art forms to create change and give a voice to my community. I am passionate about displaying Black peace, challenging stereotypes and social issues.
LOURICE J RAMOS
Lourice J Ramos is a Filipino freelance fashion photographer from East London who combines her work with urban illustrations using spray paints and graphic design. She grew up in a household full of creative side hustlers that prompted her decision that university wasn’t for her, as well as encouraged her to chase her passions. As she developed as a creative, she began to experiment with different mediums that have made her imagery distinguishable. Her photography has led her to work with companies and start-ups such as Magnum Photos and Heresmag. In her free time, she creates self-portraitures and photoshoots to helps other POC women gain confidence in themselves, and has led to some of the images being noticed by brands like NYX, Makeup Revolution and Nip and Fab. As well as that she uses her skills and knowledge to document issues that mean a lot to her and her community, and encourages us to improve and shine a light on subjects that are often ignored or forgotten. Her work has always been a place to uplift and represent those who do not have a voice and platform.
MAPALO SIMON NDHLOVU
My name is Mapalo Simon and I am a London based, sustainability driven fashion designer. My primary interests are in the combining of formalwear with streetwear and utility wear, this is drawn from my fascination in the detachment of objects from their functional use and adaptation into aesthetic context: This is something that also sparks my drive to upcycle garments, a process that I find to not only be sustainable but pushes my designs towards more original shape and texture. My brand Studio Mapalo was created to tell the visual narrative of how my childhood in Zambia and living in Yorkshire and London have collided. I wanted this to be at the core of my brand because I wanted to integrate African style into western culture as well as provide an Insight into how cultures could be visually integrated.
PRINCESS SHODIPO
Hailing from Chicago, Princess made the move to London in 2016 to follow her creative path. She first went to school studying Fashion and Textiles. A year later, Princess began her modeling career and quickly after started her very own podcast. In 2020 at start of the pandemic, Princess had her first child and despite the circumstances, took a different route and began a candle company creating handmade vessels. Throughout her different endeavors all while being raised in a Nigerian household, one thing Princess has held onto throughout her life is her creative flare.
QUINN LOVERO
What's good people? I'm Quinn Lovero, an Argentinian photographer and filmmaker based in London. I'm currently on my journey to become a full-time creator for music artists, fashion designers and brands. I am interested in producing new and captivating content, with people that don't fear different and original ideas.
SHANIA-MAE WRIGHT
Shania is an production design student who has interests in set design and visual merchandising. Shania has previously worked with urban outfitters and converse as set assistants but is looking to expand her knowledge in the creative industry further.
SIMRAN KAUR
Simran Kaur is a surrealist fashion photographer and artist currently based in London. She was born and raised in Italy, but her heritage is Punjabi. Simran's main objective is to create mental health awareness with her experimental photography. At the same time, she also creates dreamlike abstract visuals to make the viewer explore another reality. Based on her surreal visual projects talking about mental health, she titled her brand as surreal mental visualism which is a collection of surreal visuals helping people to heal.
TIMOTHY ALEXANDER EZEKIEL
A visual artist and creative producer that operates within the realms of music and fashion. He has always drawn inspiration from sub-cultures, specifically within music and has found comfort existing within these spaces. He uses a strong understanding of non-verbal communication to create powerful visuals that promote these spaces and the people that support their existence. His passion for music has always existed, even when he was a kid, and had played in bands into his late teens. This love for music has seeped into every aspect of his life, influencing his art in many ways. Currently he is focused on exploring the intersection between sound and visuals. He is experimenting with Audio/visual design using generative techniques like creative coding in order to develop techniques that can create interactive & immersive experiences.
TIYANA HENRIQUES
Tiyana Henriques is a fashion stylist and costume designer who is drawn to fantasy and escapism. Inspired by colour, texture and identity, Tiyana loves to shape characters in her work and specialises in developing a signature style for music artists. Tiyana has led styling projects including music videos, editorials, campaigns, red carpet events and most recently, short films.
TOBI MALOMO
Tobi is a multidisciplinary creative and aspiring curator, hoping to make expressive and dynamic works by combining music, moving images and illustrations. Recently he has been focused on the expression of identity through art and fashion, trying to express unique personality traits with shape and colour. In addition to his work as a freelance illustrator, he participated in last year's NS Academy programme and created a 90-second short, which was featured in an article for The Face Magazine.
TOLU ELUSADÉ
Tolu Elusadé, 20 year old visual poet and storyteller. Fascinated by the art of authentic collaboration - Elusadé is motivated by the revolution of existence as resistance. Grounded in the importance of collective healing and joy, imagery is created to illuminate the magic in the mundane. My artistry is about capturing the silver linings in the complex dualities of this lifetime, and leaving a legacy of archives, documenting how we are.
TRINI-MARIA KATAKWE
Trini-Maria Katakwe (TMK) is a British Nigerian-Zambian Visual Artist and Designer from North London. The work she creates is based on her identity, culture, faith and spirituality. Art and Design have been a focal point in the development of her academic and professional experience. The expansion of her creativity has been explored through scenography (set & production design), architecture, fine art, graphic design, illustration, and photography. TMK’s ongoing project the ‘Bold Series’ uses vivid colours and fragmentation to explore her interpretation of how she views the world. The message behind her work is to uplift those who are underrepresented and showcase them in a vibrant outlook.
TYREIS HOLDER
Tyreis Holder is an Artist, Poet and Visual Storyteller from South London, with heritage reigning from Jamaican/St Vincent. She works heavily in mediums pertaining to installation, textiles, performance, poetry, sculpture and sound. Her practise centres around explorations of self and identity, the relationship with the mind, particularly within regards to navigating colonial spaces. Her primary grounds for exploration explores how textiles poses as poetic language, functioning as a healing device- specifically in regards to trauma experienced by black women. Poetry translates into garments, installations poses as poetry pages. Bringing lived experiences into her practice, she aims to generate conversations around how social and intimate spaces are shaped through race, diffability*, community, mental health, class, sexuality and culture.
Companies
Adidas Group
- Fashion and Textiles