For years, the annual Pirelli calendar, aka The Cal, has made waves for its exclusivity, glamour, and star-studded lineup—both in front of and behind the camera.
To mark The Cal’s 50th anniversary, the visual artist Prince Gyasi was chosen to photograph and conceptualize the 2024 edition, which features talent including Naomi Campbell, Teyana Taylor, Angela Bassett, award-winning writer and the youngest inaugural poet in U.S. history Amanda Gorman, Afrobeats superstar Tiwa Savage among others.
But the highlight of this year’s Pirelli calendar was the fact that it was shot by a black photographer for the first time since its launch in 1964.
The 28-year-old Ghanaian visual artist Prince Gyasi was in LA when he first got the call from the Italian tyre company asking him to fly to New York for a “vibe check”.
Vibe checked, he got the job. The fact that he is the first black artist, and the first African, to shoot the calendar means a lot to him. “It’s about opening the door, opening the floodgate,” he said at a launch event in London on Wednesday.
Gyasi, who hails from Ghana, brings a distinct visual voice to his work: vibrant colors provide viewers a glimpse of his otherworldly imagination, where a refreshing re-centering of Black subjects is a central theme.
Gyasi credits his love of photography, in part, to the adults in his life who supported his creative exploration from early childhood.
His mother, a respected Ghanaian fashion designer, and a local photographer who ran a photo stand in the marketplace took Gyasi on as a kid apprentice.
It is also worthy to note that Prince Gyasi is the grandson of Otumfuor Osei Tutu!! who also featured becoming the first black royalty to feature in the Pirelli Calendar.
The first Pirelli Calendar was published in 1964. Since then, it has become known for its high art aesthetic and showcasing some of the world’s biggest stars.
