Arielle Bobb-Willis

Born and raised in New York City and Suffern, NY, with pit stops in South Carolina and New Orleans, photographer Arielle Bobb-Willis has been using the camera for nearly a decade as a tool of empowerment. Battling with depression from an early age, Bobb-Willis found solace behind the lens and has developed a visual language that speaks to the complexities of life: the beautiful, the strange, belonging, isolation, and connection.

Inspired by masters like Jacob Lawrence, Max Ernst, and Clementine Hunter, Bobb-Willis applies a ‘painterly’ touch to her photography by documenting people in compromising and disjointed positions as a way to highlight these complexities. Toeing the line between fashion and contemporary art, her use of bright vivid colours is therapeutic and speaks to a desire to claim power and joy in moments of sadness, confusion or confinement.

Bobb-Willis’ work has been published in Vogue, Vanity Fair and The New York Times, as well as collaborating with the brands Nike, Apple, Valentino and Hermès. She has photographed many contemporary musicians (including Billie Eilish, Lady Gaga, Lil Nas X), and is one of the few photographers to have shot a Vogue cover before the age of 25. Her work has featured in a number of prominent exhibitions, including As We Rise: Photography from The Black Atlantic (The Polygon Gallery, Vancouver B.C.) and the touring exhibition The New Black Vanguard (Florida, San Francisco, Stockholm, Detroit, Ohio and London). Keep the Kid Alive, a photobook of her work will be published by Aperture later this year. Arielle is currently based in Los Angeles.