You have a BA in Fashion Photography from the London College of Fashion. Since when and why did you start photographing, and why has fashion become a focus of your work?
I’ve always been a visual person. I started taking photographs at a relatively young age—around 11. During my early teenage years, my parents handed me down their old semi-automatic film camera from the 90s, and I feel like the rest is history. I would take this camera on family holidays, around my hometown, and to house parties where I would shoot my friends.
I have always been fascinated with glamour, beautiful women, and clothing, which I blame my mother for. She taught me the importance of dressing up and looking after your appearance for special occasions and day-to-day life. She grew up in the 1970s when this was sort of the norm. She introduced me to her fashion icons from an early age, mainly pop stars and actresses whom she idolized throughout her life. One of them is Madonna. My mom would do her hair and makeup and find pieces that resembled what Madonna would wear during various eras of her career. You can even see it in her wedding outfit, which is heavily Madonna-inspired—so 80s, so glamorous. They were born in the same month and the same year, so I feel like they were kindred spirits who raised me and my love for fashion.
The transformative power and artistic value of clothing are what I believe guide my desire for fashion. Especially as a queer person who spent a crucial part of their formative years using clothing as a means to express a gender identity that they didn’t necessarily have the words to express. I think there is something truly beautiful and magical about that.
Tell us a story about how you established SMUT. Did your practice change in the last two or three years since you started to publish volumes of SMUT? What are your plans at the moment?
SMUT came to fruition in 2019, during my final year of university. I was writing my dissertation on female adult film directors who were creating a new wave of alternative pornography that undermined how women were being represented in mainstream pornography. It made me question my gaze and intentions and whether I could do the same, so I was born in SMUT Volume.
Volume I featured women working within the adult entertainment industry and was a more documentary-style body of work, whereas with Volume Two I shot mainly male subjects, and it is palpably more fashion-focused. It’s funny because I have spent a great portion of my photographic career mainly shooting women, but in the past few years, it’s mainly been men. I’d like to say that it was a good challenge for me to step out of my comfort zone and shoot subjects that I was not so used to shooting. At this moment, I’m working on an exciting exhibition for SMUT, which is due to open in mid-June.
What do you think of how erotic pictures are perceived in today’s world when you compare them to the past?
I’ve recently been thinking about what people perceive as ‘erotic’ and how that means ‘pornographic’ to a lot of people outside of the art world. I think people’s attitudes ebb and flow, as they often do throughout history, and right now there is a huge resurgence of conservatism and morality across the Western world. Everyone’s suddenly scared of sex or anything sexual (e.g., “unnecessary” sex scenes in films), and people are having less sex in general, which most likely directly impacts how erotic art is perceived today, and it’s not in a positive way.
How is your shooting day looking—for example, one where you are working on your SMUT series?
Shoot days for SMUT are usually relatively relaxed and fun. My goal is to always create comfortable energy on set, especially when we are working with models who aren’t necessarily used to being nude in front of groups of people. I have a special shoot playlist that is mostly 80s house and dance music mixed with pop, which helps to get everyone in a good mood.
How do you find models? Are you deciding on their styling? Do you also sometimes collaborate with colleagues on that?
I am lucky enough to have friends who work in the adult entertainment industry and have been eager to be part of the project. Other models are usually friends of friends; there is also an escorting website that I’ve used in the past to find the right models (which I am going to gatekeep, sorry). For Volume Two, many of my styling references came from late 90s and early 2000s men’s fashion and Arena Homme+ stories, as well as gay pornographic videos from that era. Yes, I will often sit down with the stylist working on the shoot to walk through the references I have in mind and see if they have any interesting references or perspectives to add to the story.
Again, I’ve been lucky enough to work with stylists who I call my close friends, so the process is a beautiful collaborative flow where we just get along with each other.
Did you grow up with idols in photography or generally in art? Were there any figures that inspired you growing up?
As mentioned, my mother inspired me tremendously growing up. In terms of artists, I would say photographers like Nan Goldin and Wolfgang Tillmans were (and still are) my idols. I think it’s relatively obvious when looking at my work how much they have influenced my photographic style and choice of subject matter. Filmmakers like Pedro Almodovar and Wong Kar Wai were also figures who inspired me.
What are you listening to these days?
90s trip-hop, electronic, and house music are in constant rotation for me, especially with this super personal project I’m working on right now. And of course, pop music, always.
Where can we find good photo books?
eBay is my go-to for finding vintage photobooks at reasonable prices.
Are you collecting something?
I’m always collecting books, whether it be photobooks or reading books. I have too many, and I’m scared to move apartments because of how heavy they’re going to be.
What will you do this summer?
This summer, I hope to be more spontaneous, to get out of London more often, and to kiss beautiful people more often.
Ezekiel – www.ezekielarchive.com, www.instagram.com/ezekielarchive
Ezekiel (they/them) is a Filipino photographer and filmmaker based in London. Their work frequently delves into the complexities of the human condition, sexuality, gender, and identity politics through a queer gaze. In 2019, Ezekiel graduated from London College of Fashion with a BA (Hons) in Fashion Photography. In 2022, they became Creative Director of SMUT and released their inaugural photobook titled SMUT, Volume I: Transgressions— marking the inception of an ongoing series of erotic publications.
