Jamaican-born artist, photographer and sculptor Lois Samuels has lived a life that many only dream of. Discovered in high school, she traveled the world modeling in the major fashion capitals including Paris, London and New York for designers such as Issey Miyake, Dior, Lacroix and Ralph Lauren. She has graced the covers of the most influential fashion magazines in the world and worked with iconic photographers like Ellen von Unwerth, Peter Lindbergh and Ruven Afanador. “Each of them was truly inspiring in their approach to working with talent and crafting an atmosphere conducive to capturing remarkable images,” Samuels recalls. “Yet I was always drawn to a more reportage style in photography.”
With years of experience in the fashion industry, she yearned to apply her observations to a creative practice of her own. Inspired by her Jamaican heritage, Samuels channeled her burning creative calling into a pursuit of ceramics and photography. “With both fashion and fine arts, there are parallels between presenting your work and revealing aspects of your essence and identity to the world,” she says. “In the fashion realm, one often gives up control as decisions regarding a model’s career trajectory are made by others, but with ceramics, I find a deep sense of fulfillment as it allows me to have more control over the creative process. Unlike the transient nature of modeling, ceramics teaches and offers a more enduring form of expression, where the pieces crafted can evoke emotions and memories for years to come.”
