The Little Black Gallery is publishing the new photo book JOY by AdeY.
Since becoming a father AdeY has sought a new direction to his work. One that encapsulates his sense of joy. So this book is a celebration of life, his family, and of living. But also one that continues to encapsulate his classic imagery of movement, dance, and the human body. AdeY writes :
This project is, at its heart, a deeply personal journey. When my son Kenzo came into the world, he shifted my focus in a way I never imagined. I found myself wanting to live in the moment more fully, to hold onto this sense of joy even in the midst of everyday challenges. It wasn’t just about feeling elated; it was about finding a quieter, deeper joy in simply being, being a father, being present, and being open to love in its purest form.
I realized that after having a child, I wanted to push away the noise of negativity that the world so easily brings. There’s so much conflict out there, so many distractions, and I felt this intense need to immerse myself in the purity of my child’s world. In a way, I was mourning the loss of my own childhood innocence and rediscovering that sense of play and creativity that children naturally have.
So this series, JOY, is my way of embracing that feeling. It’s about reconnecting with a part of myself I had hidden away, my sensitivity, and letting that become a strength. It’s about finding a calm, grounded joy in the present moment, and an unconditional love that flows through everything I do. That’s why I called it JOY: because it’s the closest word I can find for that feeling of love, of play, of acceptance, and of truly living.
AdeY
AdeY left a career as a professional dancer, something evident in the photographs which combine photography, choreography, and performance.
AdeY highlight’s our right to be different in terms of body type, gender, sexuality, religion, and skin tone with both humor and tenderness. The work shows the human body in its most stripped-down, naked form, but strives to create a non-sexualized and unprejudiced images based on the ideal of acceptance.
He has published a series of photobooks and zines including Uncensored (The Little Black Gallery, 2021). His work has been exhibited at some of the world’s best known galleries and museums, including Fotografiska (Stockholm), Clamp (New York), Galerie XII (Los Angeles), The Little Black Gallery (London), Finnish Museum of Photography (Helsinki), Falsterbo Photo Museum (Falsterbo, Sweden), and Fotogallerie Vasli Souza (Oslo).
JOY by AdeY
Edited by Ghislain Pascal
Published by The Little Black Gallery
Designed by Studio Kunze
25cm x 20cm
68 pages
31 images + 6 illustrations
Foiled hardcover
Edition of 300
Printed on FSC, chlorine & acid free paper in the UK
Price $65
JOY by AdeY is available from thelittleblackgallery.com
https://www.thelittleblackgallery.com/collections/books
All the JOY artworks are available online as fine art prints.
Launch of JOY in New York and London:
24 April: do you read me?! NYC – RSVP
15 May: The Photographers Gallery London – RSVP
BOYS! BOYS! BOYS! Gallery Café / The Little Black Gallery
30C Warren Street
Fitzrovia, London W1T 5NF
www.boysboysboys.org
@boysfineart
@boysgallerycafelondon
