yumna

Cindy Gallop

yumna — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 20:51:00 +0000

I was lucky enough to spend an afternoon chatting with and photographing Cindy Gallop in her beautiful home this past weekend. Quite the appropriate feature for Valentine’s Day, seeing as Cindy and her home have been major crushes of mine for quite some time now!

To be honest, I still feel stoned from the incredible vibrations Cindy radiates (hey, get your mind out the gutter! or actually, don’t..) She displays her power effortlessly all the while being absolutely sexy. Sounds dangerous, I know – but her intentions always aim for a greater good and that’s what I admire the most about Cindy. Her home is the result of a lifetime’s collection of objects from all around the world: her infamous Gucci chainsaw, a wide-range of taxidermy, hundred year old antique furniture, and crystal-encrusted sex toys.

But the real treasure is in Cindy herself. This woman has been a major source of inspiration ever since I began watching videos of her speaking about everything from business to sex-and even the two together. Her ability to articulate ideas not only sells her point, but also leaves you feeling like you are part of the cause (you are!). Cindy knows that our world is not pretty and perfect and embraces the dark and the dirty, using the reality of our human lives in a way that fabulously unwraps what society tends to shy away from.

I highly recommend taking the time to dive into Cindy’s world. I promise you’ll be impressed…and inspired!

Check her out on: Cindy Gallop, IfWeRanTheWorld, MakeLoveNotPorn, and on TED

NYFW – A/W 2012

yumna — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 21:08:36 +0000

I’ve never fully experienced a fashion week before, usually because I was too busy with classes or just didn’t care enough to get access. Now things are completely different and my job requires me to go backstage and document the madness. I always thought being backstage would be a lot more glamorous, but it’s really not. At all. I feel terrible for pretty much everyone involved, but especially for the models! They’re constantly being pulled and pushed like little dolls! Fashion week isn’t even officially over and most of the models I encountered today were completely agitated, except for the few who have experienced this more than once or twice. Which is surprisingly rare considering how young these poor girls are. I’m amazed at how talented the artists are for putting the models together so beautifully in under 2 hours, but otherwise I don’t really “get” fashion week. It’s really just lots of hype, and a means for fashion people to confirm their status by what row they’re seated in at shows.

Anyway. Fashion week. Very weird. Interesting experience, nonetheless. This blog post will probably [hopefully?] take me off all invite lists.

Oh, and if you were curious about what show each photo was from, hover over the bottom of the photo and a caption will magically appear!

Tata!

Press and Prints

yumna — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 20:50:11 +0000

I was recently interviewed by the lovely Zeyna Sy over at Dazed Digital. It is currently the most viewed article on the site. Exciting!

Also, after being accepted into Milk Underground and showing my prints at the Milk Gallery, the prints are now on sale at the Milk Store

I’m putting up another round of prints on my personal store again, but bigger and better this time! More on that soon!

Happy 2012, friends!

Internet Bitch

yumna — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 19:40:31 +0000

“Don’t be technology’s bitch. Make technology your bitch.”

Model: Stephanie Wagenman (yes, Betsey Johnson’s muse!)
Makeup: Cyndle Strawhecker
Hair: Peter Mattelinano
Styling: Jasmin Rodriguez
Assistance: Eric White

2011, A Year In Review

yumna — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 21:47:10 +0000

Rang in the New Year in sunny Melbourne with some of my favorite people. Came back to New York to become a slave to finals and writing my grueling thesis. In the midst of my hectic last semester, I interned for Bidoun Magazine and learned a lot of awesome things, met a lot of awesome people who reminded me of me. Documented the “end” of Mubarak’s regime with the Egyptian community in Astoria, Queens. Celebrated Mubarak stepping down at our spontaneous office party. After numerous nights of working my ass off, hallucinating from a lack of sleep, break downs, and contemplating joining the list of suicides in Bobst Library, I finished my thesis. Became an official college graduate, and surprisingly attended my graduation ceremony. Celebrated with a lot of sleep and booze. Finished my time as a student of structured academics and became a student of life. Was a part of putting together The New Museum’s Spring Gala and had my photographs projecting in a room with very fancy, important people. Took A LOT of spontaneous road trips with my friends, had some of the most memorable adventures of my life thus far. I was mentioned in Forbes Online. The only time I left the country this year was to explore a tropical paradise with a beautiful friend. Thanks to her, I learned how to dive for the first time. There, I discovered a world I had only seen in my dreams, and fell in love with Earth all over again. Came back to NYC and things got weird. I meditated a lot. The news made me depressed and had me yearning to be in Yemen. Looked endlessly for a job and found the job of my dreams. Made a lot of photographs, videos, money, and plans for future projects. Spent a lot of quality time with my family, my backbone. I think I went to Miami like 12 times? My photographs began appearing more in tangible forms, like billboards, magazines, and exhibitions. Started writing. Hated it, still hate it. Learned how to have a day job and still have time to do my own work. Photographed beautiful people, made a lot of art that I’m very proud of. Said goodbye to one of my best friends. My hatred for my writing inspired a project that will take up a great deal of my time in 2012, and beyond. Got excited, got others excited. I danced a lot this year. And when I say a lot, I mean, A LOT. Learned how to stop giving a shit about what others thought. Learned to stay far away from negative personalities and obsessive flattery. Learned how to say no. Learned that in order to get, I must give. Last but not least, I learned how to find love in all the right places.

All in all, this year was full of immense learning and self-realization. New experiences, new friends, and new ideas.

And with all of that, I’m really fucking excited for 2012.

Lately

yumna — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 02:38:48 +0000

Got 5 rolls of film developed today. I’ve been working an amazing day job for The Wall Group’s creative department. I get to go behind the scenes and meet incredible artists. It’s really helping me with understanding the business aspect of being a creative, which is perfect at this time in my life. I thought I’d be dreading having to work a day job, but I’m getting so much out of it that I surprisingly haven’t had any complaints.

Had my first gallery showing at Milk Underground, that was dope. Secretly watching people look at your work without knowing it’s actually yours, listening to what they have to say. That was a great feeling.

I’ve been writing a lot more lately, learning how to be OKAY with what I write and voicing my opinion in words, not just photos. I’m really lucky to have amazing friends to support that and teach me during my strange endeavors. It’s such a weird shift from being so used to having instant gratification in a form of expression that you’re so confident and comfortable with, then exploring a whole new medium that you kind of suck at and falling on your ass numerous times. But getting up, regardless of how bad you are, and just fucking doing it. Because you want to. And you believe in yourself enough to get through it and learn more and eventually succeed. That’s some shit. No course could teach me what I’m learning right now. In fact, I feel like my college education ruined my ability to express myself in words. I was so used to just vomiting accurate information and bullshitting to fill pages. At least I know how to do research, but shit. There was hardly any voice in it, any true expression. I can talk, I can take photos, but writing is new for me. It’s exciting. I feel like I just got a new boyfriend.

Anyway, expect some of that in the near future. Enjoy the photos. Oh and, I’m sorry but I think monthly mixes are dunzo. My apologies, I’m so bad at keeping that kind of shit steady these days. I STILL LOVE ALLA Y’ALL THOUGH!

Xtatic Truth

yumna — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 07:32:31 +0000

Mia Orozco dancing to Crystal Fighter’s “Xtatic Truth”

Virginia Is For Lovers

yumna — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 16:23:10 +0000

This past summer, me and my best friends took a road trip to escape the city during Hurricane Irene. We drove for eight hours until we arrived at our lake house in the-middle-of-no-where, Virginia. Irene came and went, and we got beautiful glimpes of her from the Shenandoah Valley. The day after the storm, the sun embraced us with her warmth, gracing us with magical powers to turn into large fluffy dogs and feather-headed gypsies. We played in the river and ran through grass fields, all the while our friends back home were locked into their cubicle apartments in the stormy city sky.

Thank you Irene. Thank you Virginia. Thank you friends.

Hello October!

yumna — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 16:57:08 +0000

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD

Bradley Soileau

yumna — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 02:53:15 +0000

Bradley Soileau @ RED NYC

Styled by Lizz Jardim

Special thanks to Chloe Rice and Jackson for being such lovely assistants!