EMIL KOSUGE

Introduce a photographer with a truly colourful background, who born in Hong Kong, sun of Polish and Japanese parents, who first moved to London and then to Paris. A great photographer with a truly colourful background, welcome Emil Kosuge on Pineapple.

Could we start with some background information about you? Who are you, where you grow up, where you based, how did you get interested in arts?

I was born in Hong Kong, moved to London when I was five and I’m currently based in Paris. My mother is Polish and my father is Japanese so I have a pretty mixed background and an undefined sense of Identity. I got interested in arts pretty early in my childhood, it’s the only thing I ever excelled at in school and I never really considered doing anything else outside the visual arts.

If you don’t live in the city where you grew up, what made you leave your homeland?

I left London for Paris in my mid 20s because I felt that my life there was starting to stagnate, I was partying too much, working shitty jobs and my life wasn’t really going anywhere. I needed a drastic change and I always thought about living in Paris. Life here is less of a struggle and I felt like there were more opportunities for people like me. Plus it’s great to find models to shoot since a lot of them come in town for jobs.

How do you remember your first experience with photography?

I borrowed my older brother’s film camera when I was 13 to go to New York on a school trip for art class. I actually still use the camera to this day, I never gave it back to him!

How has lockdown affected your artistic practice? What has this period taught you?

I was very lucky and had a pretty chilled experience during lockdown. I was home with my boyfriend, we have a little garden where we live, we cooked a lot and spent a lot of time just doing nothing, which is pretty great for creativity. I had a lot time to reorganise my life and reflect on my work. It taught me to relax, slow down and not to get so anxious about work.

There is always time and learning for someone to find their own style. Was there ever a set point when you decided you were going to go the way you were going?

It wasn’t one particular moment so much as several small moments that led my style to where it is today. But I try not to over think or analyse my work so much in that way. I prefer to let it happen naturally, rely on my intuition and just let my style evolve gradually over time, it can get gimmicky otherwise.

What do you enjoy more: being given complete freedom on a photo shoot, or having to shoot on a given theme/topic?

I love having complete freedom, which is how I do most of my work. But it’s great when I can combine my own vision with someone else’s and create work that I would’ve been able to on my own.

What do you think would help or make life easier for artists on the part of exhibition organisers and art patrons?

I guess to start with it’s important to be able to connect with the artist and see eye to eye on some level so that there is trust between both parties, then you can build from that.

What is your ultimate goal in photography?

I don’t really have any grand goals, there are so many people I have in mind to photograph. I’m just trying to get through all of them.

What do you do when you got time for yourself?

When I’m not working on my own work I help my boyfriend with his, he works in set design and I’m pretty good with my hands. I really like the sculptural aspect of building things physically, you don’t really get it in photography.

What makes you happy?

Being around good people, nice weather, great food and my boyfriend Raf.