«We never cease to learn»: interview with Gabriel Moses

Being photographers is not easy. Growing as a professional is complicated - also because no one talks about the high level of self-confidence that is necessary to advance. For an emerging talent, often virtually invisible, the motto is always «Consistency is key». One must never stop, never cease to believe in their own vision, and above all, must turn every limit into an opportunity. Not everyone is born wealthy or endowed with all the connections needed to succeed in this world, but opportunity knocks on everyone's door - you just need a bit of luck. This is what a twenty-five-year-old, who has forged his own luck, says: his name is Gabriel Moses, he comes from South London, and on the occasion of Air Max Day, brought to the Spazio Maiocchi in Milan, in collaboration with Slam Jam, a preview of his first monographic book named Regina and published by Prestel - a book that has women at its center. «It’s a salute to all the women in my life», says Moses when we reach out to him for our questions, «they’re very important in my practice. They have given me so much, so it was just a way of giving them a salute to thank them all without having to name them».  

This first exhibition in Milan is one of the many milestones that already dot Moses' career - a young man who, at just eighteen, began his journey without ever imagining where he would end up or what would happen even a few months later: a campaign signed for Nike that suddenly put him on the map. For him, growing up wearing Nike every day «At the time it felt like a dream come true. And then you understand that there’s human beings behind this stuff with whom you can create authentic connections. Being associated with a brand like Nike was a truly important lesson». Since that founding moment, Moses' career has taken off. In seven years, his portfolio has grown immensely with campaigns upon campaigns, from Dior to Louis Vuitton's SS24 collection to the latest campaign between Y-3 and Real Madrid, marking the return after 10 years of a historic partnership. And this is without considering legendary magazine covers like Dazed, Arena Homme+ (of which he was also the cover star), and 032c, for which he photographed Skepta. This artist, one of London's most respected, ended up becoming a friend. «Being on set with him is completely relaxing for me», he tells us, «First time I met him, he just had amazing words for me and that stuff has stuck with me. And I’ve been lucky enough to work with amazing human beings first and foremost, you know despite their names, and they have always just been very important throughout my journey». 

 All these works are united by a single common thread: a dark, gloomy imagery yet endowed with immense communicative power. A type of darkness of expression born thanks to the only lamp that illuminated his room when he was a child. «From there, I just become used to seeing shadows and things like that coming out of blackness, colors, shapes and stuff like that. If I had studied photography in school, perhaps my teachers would have told me to give it up that style. So maybe it’s a blessing that I’ve just created from a place of almost ignorance and just been like, okay, this what I see is a nice image and just ran with that just being confident with that over and over the years.» But despite the position he has reached, Moses never stops learning and seeking something new on a personal and professional level. He tells us that, at the moment, he is working on his first film, which he is still only writing at the moment - but it's an expansion he feels the need for. «I want my art and my ideas to be accessible to everyone, shows in different countries for people to enjoy having the opportunity to introduce my work to those who do not know it or to create beautiful moments, meeting those who already support me». And precisely for those who support him, follow him, or simply draw inspiration from his works but would like to reach his levels, we asked him for advice on how to break into this world and improve one's skills. «Research, research, and more research», he replied, «Never stop learning. I’m still asking questions and improving my work, that journey never stops. But you’ve got to respect the craft and do your research, do your homework. […] Humility is very important in order to do well, otherwise it’s a ticking time bomb. Be relaxed, be respectful and ask questions, we all need to learn even though with the internet we all start to think we know it all. All of us must learn to respect this art, from asking politely to doing our research because the journey of knowledge never stops». 

Gabriel Moses's art and photography come from everything he saw when he was still a child, managing to build from that childhood imagery his own world. A world that he repeatedly emphasizes is formed by people, relationships, and human connections. «But then there comes to a point where you now meet the human being, and, you know, that’s always the most important thing» as we have already seen with Regina, «Because what they, human beings, give you is the greatest achievement a person can reach».