Meet the multifunctional creative from London approaching all the elements with a beautifully pure sense of structure and strong aesthetic, presenting a solid artwork through pristine clear image where air, skin, stone, and fabric all come together in a perfectly structured dance in the fields of concrete and the urban landscape.
Tell us a bit about yourself, what’s your cultural background and a story as a creative. How did you discover an interest in fashion photography/ fashion design/architecture?
I’m a British- Filipino, Graphic Designer and Photographer born and raised in London. I’ve always had a passion for photography since I was young. Developing the eye for detail in photography has allowed me to deepen my knowledge in architecture, design and fashion design.
Do you remember the very first time you came with the idea of your design/photos?
Absolutley , my philosophy has always been to ‘create more’ not necessarily having an end goal in mind, but to keep creating, this eventually snowballed into creating my own signature style. I remember shooting every single day at ‘The Barbican’ centre in London, not knowing what to create, but then taking a birds eye view of my work and realised this could be something cool... so I carried on experimenting with different locations/models and subject matter, and eventually created a “RAW concrete” aesthetic in my work.
What is the concept behind your latest editorial and how would you describe your brand’s aesthetics?
“House of Concrete.” We’ve been stuck in doors for the last 18+ months, my latest body of work captures a lot of concrete which is one of the elements in building the foundation of a house, the moody aesthetic has always been a consistent theme in my imagery so I kept that DNA across all of the photos to capture the emotion of the models/location during this time. I always like to think my work captures “the cool kids” of the estate/building. That one kid who always has the best piece of clothing on, and always has that “sense of attitude” about his/her aura, and creates his/her own lane...
You also have a clothing brand, how similar is your personal style to the designs you create?
This is a passion project of mine, I’ve always said you can create a brand, but if it doesn’t have a story behind it then your selling air.. growing up I’ve worn a lot of loud graphics on my personal clothing, as a Graphic Designer this is what I liked to experiment with typography and photos, but recently I have gravitated towards more simple timeless, classic/minimalist styles - with an edgy aesthetic!
What fascinates you about the art world today? And where do you find your inspiration?
Technology has allowed us creatives a lot of exposure if you use it in the right way, yes it has its limitations, but I would never be able to see the talent across other creators, and what mediums they are using. Art is subjective, so you can create anything, my interpretation of something can be different from someone else’s, that simple observation can mean anything in your eyes, and that’s what makes art such a huge impact on my creativity. I find inspiration from galleries, music or personal experiences I’ve been through. In London you interact with so many different personalities, attitudes and beliefs, I like to connect these dots and create a story behind my work.
Which designers or artists have been the most influential to you?
Many, I like the works of Powell & Bon, Tadao Ando, Zaha Hadid, LeCorbusier, Leandro Locsin... Brutalist and modern architecture across the world, these buildings always bring me back to my DNA of shooting on concrete landscapes.There are also many artists that I like in today’s landscape but I usually take inspiration from the past, and bring them forward to today.
Could you briefly get us through your overall process in finding what would work best for your vision and where you are gaining your ideas?
Theres not really much a process, it’s always organic, never forced, usually when I travel I take a lot of photos, listen to music, and create a story usually from taking mental notes, or write them down. Sometimes it depends where I am travelling too for example in Europe/Asia etc, I usually gravitate towards the culture, design and architecture of things, and ‘see what happens’. Now a days I have a simple mood board before my shoots, as a point of reference.
What sets aside Ulysses Saniel from the other brands that are on the scene at the moment?
I have never really looked at other brands for inspiration, it always comes from my environment at that current point.... the last conversation, the last gallery, book, song, film, muse, experience... I usually create what comes to me, while keeping my creative DNA in check..
What camera equipment do you most like to work with?
Canon iv with numerous lens, though I’d love to own Hasselblad or Leica.
How do you think technology changes and social media is affecting fashion/photography nowadays?
Like disposable film.. here today gone tomorrow... definitely helps with other aspects, but doesn’t have that air of permanency to me, which is why creating physical things offline is just as important... books, clothing, posters, sculptures are essential for any creative. As creatives we must focus on the important things to use technology wisely.....otherwise we are wasting our time.
Which items from your clothing brand are your personal favourite and who would you like to see wearing them?
At the moment, I have only created one piece a logo staple shirt... for now this is enough for me until I find something different/unique to create, to wear myself!
Who is your dream client to photograph and dress?
I’d like to photograph anyone who has a unique style/personality , and are not shy behind the camera. Recently my body of work I have been photographing musicians and fashion models.
Who would you most like to collaborate with before and now from within the visual arts and fashion spheres and why?
From the art world, before it would be Yves Klein , now Daniel Arsham, KAWS.... from the fashion world I like creative expression from Alexander McQueens work and the simplicity of Jil Sander, I also like Comme Des Garcon, Sacai, Bottega Veneta...
What can we expect from you in the future? Your No1 goal in 2021?
To create more... really. I’d like to get back onto a travel schedule, to shoot more video, and different locations. I’d also like to shoot with more elements such as water, greenery and possibly interiors...
Photo: @Ulysses_js Models: @Namedmodels @Tommasomedica @_dlj28_ Camera Assistants: @Sebastiangarraway @uglyduckling.studio
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