Marta Lamovsek photographs UAE creatives

“It’s important for us, as creatives, to trust someone else’s genius,” says Nigerian singer/songwriter MKO, one of the subjects of this month’s fashion editorial. All nine of the creatives that we invited to be included in the story had to extend some measure of trust – photographer Marta Lamovsek’s signature aesthetic veers pretty far from the norm.

She has developed a distinct style of character-driven portraiture that is a riot of exuberance and maximalism. She injects fabrics, jewellery and trinkets sourced on the streets of Satwa, in tiny shops and souqs, and on her travels around the world, into her shots.

Originally from Slovenia, she has lived in Dubai for seven years and draws inspiration from the region, documenting the UAE’s diverse population in numerous exhibitions, including her Plastic Garden series, which saw her turn her lens and signature style to Dubai’s taxi drivers and construction workers. In her ongoing IconBooth project, Lamovsek is working with a wide-reaching audience, using her colourful props to transform them into fictional characters, including princesses and warriors.

Lamovsek's photographs have made waves across the UAE in recent years, as she wanders the streets of the UAE and propels everyday people into the upper echelons of society through film.

“I try to bring out of everyone, a higher expression of themselves. It’s inside them already - I just bring it out,” says the photographer. “A few accessories – the odd item here and there – can bring out an elevated self," she adds.

“Everyone is unique. The way I work, I never know what I’m going to do until I start really seeing the person. It’s very intuitive. It's like I’m listening to their energy. I like to say that I might find something in a person that they didn’t know was there. We are all creations of beauty and uniqueness, and we should celebrate that. Every person has that ability to shine.”

Lamovsek creates work that celebrates a global perspective, which in keeping with our multicultural cast of subjects, who hail from Tunisia, Sudan, the UAE, Lebanon, Palestine, Nigeria and the United States, but have all chosen the UAE as their creative base.

"In my younger years, all my focus was on the women only — it’s what you know, it’s comfortable," she says.

"It’s the masculinity and femininity in balance that I find immensely beautiful, that’s why my work is gender neutral: I portray humanity. And for me, a man who is not afraid to show his feminine side; that’s a powerful man."

“I think Marta is a very special artist," says artist Christopher Benton. "I trust her completely to do whatever she thinks is possible or important to her. I would jump of a cliff if Marta told me there was a fabulous photo after.”

Anas Bukhash

Emirati entrepreneur Anas Bukhash is the managing director of Bukhash Brothers, the region’s first celebrity and digital marketing consultancy, as well as the founder of fashion brand Buka and Chalk hair salon. His YouTube show AB Talks sees him engage in in-depth discussions with local personalities on a range of subjects. He wears a jumper by Berluti. All other items are the subject and stylist’s own

Moez Achour

Moez Achour is a Tunisian photographer and creative director whose portfolio includes fashion, cars, street style and still-life shoots. The Real Issue is personal project that sees Achour address concerns such as pollution, privacy and the refugee crisis in photographic form. The Dubai resident wears a jumper by Berluti, with a checked jacket and trousers by Gucci over his shoulders, and bracelets and necklaces by Akillis. It’s a departure from his usual wardrobe of denim paired with a grey or black T-shirt. “I’ve never seen myself in magenta,” he admits.

Zeid Jaouni

Hailing from Palestine, Zeid Jaouni is a student at New York’s Parsons School of Design. A creative spirit, he likes to experiment with a range of art forms, including photography, film, sculpture, painting and digital work. He wears a jumper by Hugo Boss, trousers by Gucci over one arm, a leather jacket by Berluti over his shoulder and rings by Tiffany. “It did really make me feel royal,” says Jaouni of Lamovsek’s maximalist styling. “I usually wear dark colours and stay in my comfort zone, but doing something like this will really help boost my confidence.”

Danny Aridi

Canadian-Lebanese singer-songwriter Danny Aridi has opened concerts for internationally known artists such as Calvin Harris, Pink, Fifth Harmony, Katy Perry, The Backstreet Boys, Guns N Roses and Post Malone, and has released a string of original songs, including Home, Solo, Who, Gone and Puzzle. “I’m typically a black jeans and black T-shirt kind of guy, but hey, sometimes it’s good to put a bit of colour in there and try new things. I think I might even start adding some layers and different colours to the dark palette that I have going on,” he says, having donned a shirt by Hermes and a jacket by Gucci.

Mohamed ‘Korrii’ El Sidabi

A Sudanese content creator, photographer and art director, Mohamed ‘Korrii’ El Sidabi mixes fine art with fantasy to create images that have a dreamlike quality, while sometimes echoing elements of Renaissance paintings. Deeply proud of his Sudanese heritage, much of his time is spent trying to open doors for his community, hoping to lead the way and show that anything is possible through hard work. By setting new standards for the community, he hopes to inspire and “push my people, so we can conquer the world.”

MKO

Nigerian singer/songwriter MKO is also the founder of Art Fusion Night, a platform to promote up-and-coming talent. After living in the UAE for over a decade, he launched his debut Afro-pop album, Diverse, in Dubai last year. “It’s important for us as creatives to trust someone else’s genius,” he says of posing for Lamovsek. “That’s the whole thing about art – it appeals to people differently.” He wears a jumper by Hugo Boss, a coat by Saint Laurent and necklaces by Tiffany.

Mr Levier

Mr. Levier’s foray into fashion began in 2011 when he started making and selling handcrafted jewellery in Dubai. Soon after, the Nigerian ventured into styling and blogging, which led to the birth of the Mr Levier lifestyle blog, which is dedicated to promoting urban culture, entertainment, fashion, music, art and design. He started Dj-ing in 2015 and has since played in some of the Middle East’s biggest venues. He wear a shirt by Endless Joy at Matchesfashion.com, a jacket by Brunello Cucinelli and sunglasses by Gucci.

Jay Wud

A music producer, singer and guitarist, Jay Wud was born in Lebanon and lives in Dubai. He has performed for crowds of up to 20,000 people, supporting industry titans such as Guns N Roses, Motley Crue, Scorpions, Sons of Apollo, Skunk Anansie, Robert Plant and Aerosmith. He launched his latest EP Nabad, earlier this year, which saw him move way from his signature driving rock to embrace a more electronic sound. He wears a shirt by Saint Laurent by Antony Vaccerello, a jacket by Valentino and bracelets by Hermes, and is holding a bag from the Coach x Jean-Michel Basquiat collection.

Christopher Benton

Wearing a shirt and holding a bomber jacket by Valentino, American artist American artist Christopher Benton was delighted by the opportunity to work with Lamovsek again. “I think Marta is a very special artist. I’ve actually worked with her before, so I trust her completely to do whatever she thinks is possible or important to her. I would jump of a cliff if Marta told me there was a fabulous photo after.” Based in Satwa, the conceptual artist works across photography, film, sculpture and digital media and has collaborated with Alserkal Avenue, Sikka Art Fair and the Fikra Graphic Design Biennale.