Before my work was strongly influenced by fashion photography, my wok strongly more influenced and impacted by fine art, especially collaging, painting and sculpture. Techniques which I still include in my work today, especially as a fine art photography student. I have always had a strong interest in fine art since studying it from secondary school, but I became drawn to fashion, particularly fashion photos when studying fashion promotion during my foundation year, something that strongly changed my style of work.
Fashion Scout AW18
Photography by me ©
Tolu Coker at Fashion Scout AW19
Photography and screen print by me ©
In terms of preference, I don’t like one more than the other, buts it’s more so that my creative path has grown, changed and evolved from fine art practice to contemporary fashion photography whilst touching on fine art practice. However saying this, I do enjoy and have found a sense of comfort working with and creating fashion inspired photos, especially as that is how I found my style and aesthetic of photography. Furthermore this approach toward fashion photography is also how I rediscovered my genuine and strong interest about my Tamil culture and heritage; as this was a topic that I touched on briefly when studying fine art at school. However in terms of industry, I feel that it great to have a background in both as I have developed and improved on many practical fine art skills, such as sculpture, painting and screen printing; whlist improving my fashion photography skill more and more, especially when taking part and working at various fashion weeks with Fashion Scout and Graduate Fashion Week. I find that have skills in both have influenced my creative practice and what I create, especially within my current and recent project work, such as ஒருதீவிலிருந்துஒருநகரம் meaning “A city away from an Island” and மரபுகள் meaning “Traditions” (completed in my second year of university, and mentioned in previous individual blog posts).
Math x