Fear and Desire: Release

To create a niche and to grow and explore from it, is the pinnacle of artistic expression. In the first installment of the photo exhibition and fashion film series: Fear and Desire, Magiq Lens, Eye Queue Productions and Andrew Mageto Cinematography have succeeded in creating just such a niche.

“The concept was to explore human emotions and to express contrast and balance. We settled on fear and desire because they depict two sides of one coin; contrasting and complimenting each other,” Migz M. Nthigah, the photographer explains while standing in front of one of his images at the Shifteye Gallery..

The captivating backdrops for the exhibition either compliment or sharply contrast the models. The images were shot in Mount Kenya at the Castle Forest Lodge. “ We were looking for something calming and at the same time scary, the forest provided that,” Nthigah continues.

The images are powerful and compelling portraits of the two primal human emotions brought alive by the beautiful designs, artistic make-up and creative postures of the two models. “We wanted to do something interestin that the new Magiq lens had never done before,” Migz continues, “working with Andrew Mageto is always exciting, the fashion film was a first for him too.”

“I love fashion photography and have always wanted to do a fashion film,” Mageto explains. “I felt having the opportunity to film my close friend’s photography project was one I was not going to miss. The concept was pretty much developed from the series of photos which Magiq Lens came up with, the two had to match so I shot as the stills were being taken.”

This collaborative spirit is part of the reason for the exhibitions success. The fashion film, a journey of sound (provided by Kato Change,) texture and dynamics is descriptive and exceptional. Andrew Mageto describes the effect of the exhibition on the industry: “I think to some extent people will now be keen to mix both [fashion and film] just to give that extra visual, to go behind the stills and watch a medium that reflects the beauty and tells the story of the models. “

By Ondi Madete