Naomi Campbell also appears against the backdrop of a clock as the “Icon of the Timeless” in Pirelli’s new “Timeless” calendar, signed by Prince Gyasi, the first African photographer in the calendar’s history. The shot is called “time stopper” because the model is the symbol of a person who managed to stop time, said Gyasi, who has immortalized for him figures capable of leaving a lasting mark and future generations to inspire. “We were not born “timeless”, but we become one,” explained the Ghanaian visual artist, explaining that for him his characters, depicted with the colors and strong contrasts that have made him famous around the world, are “like superheroes are in which we can identify.” Prince Gyasi is the last of the 39 artists who created the historical calendar. His work represents the fiftieth edition of The Cal™’s sixty-year history, from 1964 to 2024, taking into account the years in which it was not published. – edited by Michela Proietti
For the first time, a ruler enters the Pirelli Calendar: one of the calendar’s protagonists is in fact Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, King of the historic Ashanti Empire of West Africa, pictured in Manhyia Palace along with his royal delegation of “Kings” Shot. All of the new Cal’s talents are accompanied by a nickname: the director, DJ and producer Idris Elba is “Man of Honor”; Actress and international superstar Tiwa Savage is “Resilience”; the writer, director and producer Jeymes Samuel is a “visionary”; the entrepreneur and former footballer Marcel Desailly is “Focus” and the singer, artist and actress Teyana Taylor is “Future Forward”.
American actress Angela Bassett (pictured) embodies “Altruistic”: she was nominated for an Oscar and portrayed with a key in her hand. “I really love Prince Gyasi’s work because it celebrates Black excellence and pays homage to the diaspora of African people,” Bassett said. Prince Gyasi began to think about which characters he wanted to include and what they represented to him, based on the sense of community prevalent in West Africa: for him, it meant one of the youngest artists calling to try his luck at “The Cal Sweep.” Go back to his childhood and think of the people who inspired him throughout his 28 years of life. The calendar has thus become the story of what makes people “timeless” in the artist’s eyes.
Poet Amanda Gorman is depicted with a wall of words behind her. The activist, who recited his verses at President Joe Biden’s inauguration, said he found the new Cal “poetic and full of messages.” Gorman called the photographer “altruistic” and dedicated her shots to others: “I hope that my presence at Cal serves to convey a positive message.” Even the pink of the cover was seen in an “altruistic” way by the photographer: “It awakens hope, it is a longing for the future.”
There is also the photo of the young Prince Gyasi, a “mini-me” of the photographer, played by the small model Abul Faid Yussif. Against a bright turquoise background, Youssif is depicted playing with miniature versions of some of the objects found on the calendar pages. In his journey as a visual artist, Gyasi draws on a range of memories and experiences from his childhood in Ghana: from the days spent with his musician grandfather, to working as an assistant to a portrait photographer in the markets of Accra, to… Visiting recording studios and stations, television and radio shows with their parents, gospel musicians. Prince Gyasi did not study photography, but art in the form of painting, sculpture, sculpture and printmaking. He spent his time using his computer’s first drawing program and looking for innovative ways to design using graphics programs. His goal was to develop a style that people could immediately identify with. “I created a bridge between painting and photography,” he said. I satisfy people who love photography but also those who love painting; So I’m creating a new bridge that I wouldn’t just call photographs, but works of art.”
A picture of the photographer: As a self-taught photographer, he learned to take photos with his iPhone. “I am heavily influenced by the world around me,” said Gyasi, who shot the images in London and Ghana to raise awareness of his country’s culture and natural resources. “Ghana – he explained – 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, I hope, new ones creates development opportunities. 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.”