In celebration of Black History Month and Valentine’s Day, Kwakushop is excited to release a limited edition box set with creatives across the country. The Love Project is a collaborative venture with industry taste-makers who were asked to contribute photographs along the broad theme of Love. Whether it be a love of self, place, culture, or family, these images represent something close to the heart and soul. The Love box set consists of 8 8×8 fine art archival giclee photographic prints in a box set limited to 25. Find the limited edition box set on Kwakushop under Heritage or click here.
Below, you can learn about the creative collaborators who have dedicated their beautiful work and time to our celebration of Love in print form, including Darien Davis, Hollis King, Glen Wilson, Emil Wilbekin, Leah “Happi” Hamilton, Keyvon Pierre, and Kwaku Alston.
“Love is a thing we can never have too much of. It is rare, often misused, misplaced, and taken for granted. It is what we should feel for ourselves so we can teach other to love. Love is selfless, never gets old or dies. Love lives. . . . forever!!”
Bio:
Darien Davis is from St. Thomas of the United States Virgin Islands. He first fell in love with photography at the age of 13 through taking photos of friends, family and his surroundings with an interest of making images unique in his own way. After high school, Darien studied and graduated from the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City. Shortly after college, he worked for some of New York City’s top photographers, including famed shooter Annie Leibovitz as her first assistant for 5 years. Today Darien is one of the most sought-after photographers. His assignments have taken him to all corners the world capturing images of the human experience.
Hollis King
“Love for me is a work in progress, Love is a goal we should all pursue in life, its what connects us as humans.
Love requires me to see the world in a grain of sand, and life and love in everything on this green earth.
Every human is related good or bad,and they are us. Love holds the key to our happiness.”
Bio:
Hollis A. King is former Vice President and Creative Director at the Verve Music Group, the largest jazz record label in the world. He was responsible for art direction of all CD packaging, logos, advertising, point of purchase and signage. Studied advertising and design at New York City Community College. He later transferred to the School of Visual Arts where he studied with legendary artist Milton Glaser, his greatest influence and inspiration. King worked at several design studios before entering the music industry in 1994 as a graphic designer at GRP records, becoming creative director in 1997. Two years later, he joined the Verve Music Group a Division of Universal Music Company and worked with some of the greatest musicians, artists and photographers of all times. King has received numerous acheivement awards and citations from Communication Arts, How, Print, AIGA, Graphis and the Society of Illustrators, as well as five Grammy nominations. Currently Hollis runs his own creative company, sits on an executive board in New York and regularly lectures about creative, and photography. at the School of Visual Arts, FIT, Art Directors Club and Society of Illustrators. Co-produced and Art Directed ESOSA Fashion Show 2012 for Fashio Week NYC. 2013 Profile of Success Award.
Glen Wilson
“Love of family, love of one’s sisters and brothers, affirming love of self and community have been subtle but undeniable threads running through much of my creative work since I first picked up a camera as a teenager. As a documentarian, I have always felt compelled to seek out not just the “edgier” moments and portraits amongst people and places where I have lived, but to quietly observe, yet actively engage in making representations resonant with strength, beauty, and hopefully positive vibrations. The image I submitted for the Love Project is a personal, intimate and hopefully evocative affirmation of sibling togetherness, and indeed LOVE, as two brothers glimpse a horizon.“
Bio:
Glen Wilson has worked for more than two decades as an artist and photographer. Originally from Columbus, Ohio he grew up convinced he would one day play football at Ohio State with Archie Griffin, and then be drafted to the Cleveland Browns. Realizing he was two decades too young for that dream, he chose instead to attend Yale University where he studied art and the history of art. Upon graduation he lived, worked, and photographed in the streets of Paris and Chicago, before heading to Southern California to attend graduate school, earn a Masters of Fine Arts degree, and ultimately start a family. Wilson comfortably describes his personal work as that of a multidisciplinary artist, anchoring a mixed-media, conceptual approach to his roots as a documentarian. He has balanced personal projects with a successful career as a hard-working, photographer-for-hire in the world of feature film, print editorial, advertising and marketing. Wilson recently started the production company and studio DubArts, Inc. as an avenue to write, produce, and direct short-form experimental, commercial, and feature-length film projects, including most currently, an homage to the changing Venice Beach neighborhood where he has resided with his wife and two sons for nearly fifteen years.
Emil Wilbekin
Magazines, lifestyle, and culture are Emil Wilbekin’s passion. Wilbekin is currently the Editor-at-Large of “Essence” magazine. Wilbekin is best known for his 12-year tenure at “Vibe” magazine, where he served as Editor-in-Chief from 1999 to 2004. Under Wilbekin’s leadership, “Vibe” won the National Magazine Award for General Excellence in 2002. In 2004, Wilbekin became Editorial Director/Vice President of Brand Development for Vibe Ventures where he was an executive producer for the 1st Annual “Vibe Awards,” oversaw ancillary brand extensions such as digital, books, and TV. In 2005, Wilbekin became the Vice President of Brand Development at Marc Ecko Enterprises and also served as Style Guru at “Complex.” Wilbekin has consulted for a Microsoft website devoted to LeBron James, AXE, Focus Features, and Sean John. He’s contributed to the following books: Vibe’s “Hip Hop Divas,” Ben Watts’ “Big Up!” Jamel Shabazz’s “Last Sunday in June”, and “Kehinde Wiley Columbus”. Emil is a graduate of Hampton University (where he has been inducted into the Mass Media Arts Hall of Fame) and Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism, Wilbekin is also a contributing editor at “Paper,” “Bleu, ” and writes fashion articles for the MSN site The Daily Access.
Leah “Happi” Hamilton
“The image I contributed is from my collection of street messages found in 2012 by whom I believe to be the messengers of the world. These strategically placed lyrical poetics across the concrete canvas’ can reach deep inside the viewer and soften what may have become hard, add peace and clarity to one’s chaos or provoke thought that may heal beyond measure. Just like love, these messages can entice, excite, and invite one’s heart to explore emotions that set them free. The sprawling inscription “Love Child” somewhat resembles the uninhibited freedom of the messenger who wrote it.
The the timely presence of it’s personal meaning beneath my feet uplifted my spirits and others who encountered it while I waited to capture the image. No matter where we are in the world, love is essentially the message we are all in search of and a message we can never grow tired of spreading because truly being “alive” is legitimately being “alove.” So in joyous celebration of the most valuable ever growing contribution to the planet without doubt, without apprehension without fear or shame, all praises to the power of love, the vast population of it’s meaning and the strength of all children born in it’s light.”
Bio:
Broker of Business Opportunities and Connections
Patron of the Arts and Seeker of the Emerging
Believer in the Truth of a Smile and Power of a Handshake
Life long tree hugger documentary filmmaker ambassador of happiness
“When I think of love pertaining to work, I think of what I would be doing for a living if I did not have to worry about money. For me, the marriage of film and music, combining images with sounds and creating a new art, is my true passion. Music is my love. It’s what gets me through every day.”
Bio:
Keyvon Pierre was accepted to NYU at the age of 16 where he studied film production and the fundamentals of photography. He was originally introduced to fashion photography from studying the music video work of renowned photographers-turned-directors Herb Ritts, Matthew Rolston and David LaChappelle. He has worked as a music journalist since 2007 taking photos at some of the biggest concerts around the world (Prince, Portishead, HARDfest) for the likes of LA Weekly, Huffington Post, and his own site Golden Bloggen. Keyvon spends most of his time these days spinning his unique eclectic mixes all over Los Angeles.
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