ASSANTE

THIS FRIDA KAHLO STAN, calls herself an underdog but we beg to differ. Assante Chiweshe known to her peers and the industry as Kahlo Greed is seamlessly trapping her youth into time as she captures the experiences surging in and around her. The ‘Assante and Film’ acquaintance has seen her move with candour on her photography journey but it’s also revealed very real lessons that come with anxiety, laughter, tears, and joy. Pellucidly showing us that artistry is an intimate choice and an honest one that will see all your parts.

WHO IS ASSANTE AND WHERE DID YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY JOURNEY BEGIN?

My name is Assante Chiweshe and I go by Kahlo Greed as well. The name comes from me being very obsessed with Frida Kahlo and everything that she stood for, her androgyny, and her beautiful work constantly made when she was alive. The Greed part was an affirmation that as a black woman, as a queer person and as a creative I just need to go for it and take what’s mine. I’m meant to be in this space.

My photography journey started very abruptly. I started having dreams about shooting and I would wake up in the middle of the night and be confused because I don’t know where all of this sudden urge to be a photographer and creative came from. I think it was my father trying to reach out to me and let me know that it’s what he wants me to do because he could never do it when he was alive. Sounds cliché but I think it was written in the stars and I received positive affirmation.

WHY FILM PHOTOGRAPHY?

When I was younger I was wildly obsessed with tumblr and I would see these celebrities, like Drake and Lil Uzi Vert. I’d wonder how these images were taken, like the grain, the colour etc. This one time I was at Afropunk with a friend and I took a picture of him using the camera and when it came out I fell in love. I fell in love with the dynamic range, the vibrant colours and the ‘you never know what you’re gonna get’ aspect of it.

DESCRIBE YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH YOURSELF AND PHOTOGRAPHY.

I feel like right now I’m at a good place with my work and I have started believing that I can do what I do. Before, it started off with me being very separated from my work. I wasn’t very sure. I used to compare myself to a lot of people. It’s that imposter syndrome. It’s shifted and I’ve learnt to trust myself when I do shoot and present my work.

YOUR WORK SETS IN STONE THE FLEETING YOUTH IN THEIR PRIME. IS THIS YOUR INTEREST IN CAPTURING MOMENTS THAT SHOULD BE LOCKED?

I’d say yes. It’s coming to my attention that history repeats itself. If you go back to pictures that our parents used to take while out at raves or out with friends and their community, it looks the same to what I capture. So, I think I’m trying to capture my experiences and how I’m growing up, and how I feel toward society. I’m very lucky that all of my friends are models so it kind of helps. I think that’s how you get the most authentic picture. Capturing people around you. HOW DO YOU NURTURE YOUR CRAFT AND MAKE SURE TO HOLD SPACE FOR YOUR CREATIVITY?

I try not to put as much pressure on myself with shooting. So, if I’m not shooting I still have my camera with me. For example, on a night out I can take pictures of my friends, I can document what’s happening. I could see the images without me needing to post them. I like to keep archives for myself and do it for myself, not necessarily always post on instagram.

WHAT DO YOU FEEL YOUR CRAFT HAS SHOWN YOU ABOUT YOURSELF?

Sometimes my emotions can be very involved in what I do and I did not know that up until now. I did not know the way that my emotions affect my relationships, my work and the spaces that I go to so it’s definitely been an eye opener. A lot of tears, happiness, laughter, joy - everything you could think of. Anxiety. It’s all been a mix. Right now I’m trying to learn to separate the two and not allow my work to define the person that I am.

What Are You More Mindful Of Now On Your

JOURNEY THAN YOU WERE A FEW YEARS BACK?

I think making sure that my subject is true to my vision and that it’s true to their vision as well. Obviously in professional spaces you don’t always pick who you shoot but when it comes to my own work I make sure the model is comfortable, I make sure we’re both doing it for a reason and that we’re connecting. Most of the work I post on my instagram is a prime example of me connecting with the subject and having a good time while shooting. Also, asking for consent is important.

ANYONE YOU HOPE TO WORK WITH? OR IMAGINATIVE WORLDS YOU WISH TO MAKE ALIVE THIS YEAR?

I don’t necessarily have anyone I want to work with because I believe that everything happens for a reason so if they cross my path we were meant to work together. But, I definitely want to push out a personal project that is very special to me which involves me going back to Zimbabwe to visit my grandparents. To take the time to reboot and reconnect my thoughts, document that side, the story behind that diaspora and merging the two worlds. The world that I live in now and the world my parents lived in.