Sharafa “Rafa” Aremu
Photographer, Artist, and Writer

My approach to art has always mirrored my approach to life: I've never confined myself to one road… or felt the need to do so. My mind moves in many directions at once, and I've come to understand this as an asset to my creativity, not an obstacle. So I shoot architecture, models, skateboarders, fellow artists, animals — whatever the week brings, whatever angle of my vision that I'm willing to share with the world.

I am, through and through, a black and white photographer. I do work in color from time to time, sometimes on film, but it's the black and white jazz photography I encountered as a child — walking the halls of Powell Elementary in Washington, DC — that first drew me into the world of images. My childhood was one of agoraphobia, novels, comics, and album covers. A vivid imagination, and the impulse to share it, has brought me here, where I connect with beautiful people and wonderful things. All with these interesting toys we call cameras.

It's a pleasure to have you here with me.

-Rafa Aremu