Changing myths. If the Pirelli Calendar was once the bible of female beauty (and sensuality), today, in times of me and the protest against patriarchal society, this world has belonged to history and The Cal adopts inclusive messages and social struggles.
And for 2024, an African-American photographer was appointed for the first time, Prince Gyasi, originally from Ghana, 28 years old, a wizard of Instagram pictures. For him, an entirely black cast including Naomi Campbell, who only gives meaning to the title of the work through her presence: Timeless.
Practically an oxymoron when the object on which you practice your art is an object that marks the passage of days.
“Naomi is 53 and still moves like she’s 20 because she doesn’t think about time,” explains Gyasi. And indeed, the years seem to leave no mark on the smooth skin of this icon, which is on its fifth Pirelli calendar and has “used” this time to reinforce a correct narrative of Africa and African Americans.
“The rest of the world has such a misperception of the African continent…For me it is important to change the mentality and open people’s eyes to the incredible culture, vitality and creativity of this continent.”
In addition to the super top model, the cast also includes poet Amanda Gorman (she read one of her poems at Biden’s inauguration in the White House), actors Angela Bassett and Idris Elba, singer Tiwa Savage, contemporary Ghanaian artist Amoako Boafo, footballer Marcel Desailly, the writer Margot Lee Shetterly (her bestseller “The Right to Count”), the music producer James Samuel and also His Highness Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, King of the Ashanti in Ghana.
“It’s like they’re superheroes,” explains the artist. “They don’t care how many days, months or weeks there are in each year. It’s all about them, what their goals are and how they’re going to make them successful.
Gyasi chose to film in London and Ghana to raise awareness of his country’s culture and natural resources. “Ghana – he explains – is a special country. It is the gateway to Africa, where you can find everything: cocoa, gold, bauxite, oil… I wanted to bring Pirelli there to imagine, through a calendar, a new world that will last forever and perhaps create new opportunities for development. After Botswana, where the 2008 Pirelli calendar was created, it is nice to travel to another African country, discover its culture and meet the locals. It is the most peaceful country in Africa. I think it’s a special place and you’ll feel the energy when you go there. It was very stimulating to do a shoot on location and give people a better understanding of how the country works.”
In short, Africa is the protagonist and also on the horizon from Marco Tronchetti Provera and Vice President of Pirelli: “Africa will have two and a half billion inhabitants in a few years, it is on our doorstep and does not think about building anything together is wrong . And even if we don’t have any concrete projects yet, we are, as always, following developments in the markets.”
This, in 2024, brings us to the 60th Pirelli calendar, a tradition that began in 1964 with Robert Freeman, then best known for his images of the Beatles, and later with Herb Ritts, Richard Avedon and Annie Leibovitz, Patrick Demarchelier and many other big names in photography.
Prince Gyasi is the first black photographer to achieve this, although for him the more correct definition would be that of a Visaul artist, since his “résumé” begins with a smartphone. He photographed young people in the run-down Jamestown neighborhood, where his mother was born and where the artist has now founded a nonprofit organization, Boxed Kids, to educate children.
A 2018 iPhone photo with actress Michaela Coel went viral on social media and marked the start of her career. In 2019 he portrayed the Nigerian singer Burna Boy for GQ, followed by a collaboration with Virgil Abloh and Off White and in 2021 a cover story with Naomi Campbell for Madame Figaro. Since then, his works have been exhibited at international art fairs and François Pinault is also a collector.
A black anthem with an all-African cast led by Naomi Campbell that challenges Western beauty ideals.
Africa is back.
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