The fine art and fashion photographer is inspired by LA’s collaborative spirit, hidden pockets of culture and fusion food scene. Oye will open your eyes to the city’s creative melting pot blending rooftop jazz with giant outdoor art installations.
Los Angeles with Oye Diran
Photographer & Art Director
Nature Mojave National Preserve
‘When it comes to scenic diversity, you could be in Downtown LA in the concrete jungle one moment, and then 20 minutes later you’re in the Mojave Desert or Vasquez Rocks. It’s all these different scenic elements in a hub.’
Mojave National Preserve, CA, 92332
Food & Drink Redbird
‘I just found my favorite restaurant: Redbird in Downtown LA. It’s pretty innovative American food, fused with other cultures. Everything is amazing, even the bread.’
114 East 2nd Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012
Food & Drink Perch
‘If you like live music, and decent food, you have Perch. It’s one of the rooftop bars in Los Angeles. There’s always a band, usually jazz or blues, but you can get R&B or alternative music.’
448 South Hill Street, Los Angeles, CA 90013
Food & Drink Zinc Cafe & Market
‘I was also vegan for about three years, so if you want vegan food there’s a spot called Zinc Cafe, which is in the Arts District.’
580 Mateo St, Los Angeles, CA 90013
Culture LACMA
‘Los Angeles County Museum of Art is a pretty big location with tons of exhibits and outdoor installations as well. If you’re an art lover or you love outdoor installations, you definitely want to check that out.’
5905 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90036
“When it comes to scenic diversity, you could be in Downtown LA in the concrete jungle one moment, and 20 minutes later you’re in the Mojave Desert. That level of diversity and variety surges inspiration.”
On Los Angeles in one word
Golden.
LA sun is just different. The warmth, the ambience, the rarity in the diverse scenes that you have there, you don’t find it anywhere else. It’s the people too. I grew up in New York, which is fast-paced and the people can be pretty aggressive. When I first started traveling to LA, I realized that people are welcoming and kind. I remember the first time I was in a grocery store, someone paid for my groceries. I was like, ‘Am I being punked? What’s going on over here?’ There’s lots of warmth and kindness, and I think the word ‘golden’ embodies that experience.
On Los Angeles and scenic inspiration
When it comes to scenic diversity, you could be in Downtown LA in the concrete jungle one moment, and then 20 minutes later you’re in the Mojave Desert or Vasquez Rocks. It’s all these different scenic elements in a hub. You can’t find anything like that in New York, or anywhere else. When you have that level of diversity and variety, there’s a surge of inspiration and a surge to create outside your box.
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On Los Angeles’ best places to visit
Los Angeles County Museum of Art is a pretty big location with tons of exhibits and outdoor installations as well. If you’re an art lover or you love outdoor installations, you definitely want to check that out. There is the Griffith Observatory, it’s an astronomy museum, but I typically go there for the architecture and the views. It’s at the top of the hill, and when you get there you see that there is a great view of Los Angeles attractions.
On surreal landscapes
Vasquez Rocks is about a 30-minute drive away. You have different hills with differing levels. Experiencing nature at different altitudes is an experience. Funnily enough, I think one of the Star Trek movies was shot there. It gives you that feeling like you’re on Mars. I appreciate that trail, it’s very surreal.
On your top spots to eat in LA
I just found my favorite restaurant: Redbird in Downtown LA. It’s pretty innovative American food, fused with other cultures. Everything is amazing, even the bread. But if you like live music, and decent food, you have Perch. It’s a rooftop that’s in Downtown LA. There’s always a band, usually jazz or blues, but you can get R&B or alternative music. I was also vegan for about three years, so if you want vegan food there’s a spot called Zinc Cafe, which is in the Arts District. And you have Sage Bistro, which is at Echo Park.
On a song that describes LA
‘Shine’ by Robert Glasper. If you listen to the words, the imagery that it paints is of brightness, inspiration and optimism. That’s what I feel when I’m flying to LA, when I arrive and reconnect with my tribe, or as I go hiking. It’s a very warm, inspiring energy that I feel and I think that song resonates with that feeling.
While it may not be a ‘hidden’ gem given its proximity to The Grove, don’t miss out on the magic that is The Original Farmer’s Market. Authentic dishes from all over the world, ranging from dirt-cheap to eye-watering, can be found here, along with a side of LA’s true melting pot culture.
On LA’s creative collaboration
LA is a creative haven. Almost 90% of people out there are creatives and living in that kind of environment creates sparks. One thing is collaboration. We could do a lot by ourselves, but if you really want to go far, if you want your work to mature and elevate, you need to collaborate. As you gain different perspectives and get input from people, it will help elevate your work. You can go faster alone, or you can go further together. A lot of the great works I’ve done are through collaboration. I capture the imagery and I can have the creative direction, but if the hairstyle or the makeup is phenomenal, that adds to the final image. It’s so important to have an array of creative friends and acquaintances who add to the community and who help you elevate your craft.
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On expressing your truth
I gravitate towards photographing people of color. It’s something that has always been natural for me. I realized back then that looking at the media, at fashion magazines, or at certain art platforms, you really didn’t see people of color. If you did, it was a misconstrued representation. At the same time, I don’t think there were a lot of Black photographers. The way I envisioned expressing my subjects was in a way of telling truths, of the culture and of our experiences, and also of our beauty. I tend to have a very ethereal, conceptual aesthetic.
On what inspires you
My inspiration comes from my love for art. It also comes from my culture, how the Yoruba people, would dress. There was a lot of regality to their style, and we don’t see that anymore. I started wondering why we couldn’t use that to portray beauty. Why can’t we use that to convey how we feel and where we’re actually from and who we really are? I gravitate towards that form of language when I capture my subjects.
On growing up in an art-oriented family
I was born in Lagos, Nigeria, in Ikeja to be exact. My father was a business owner and my mother was an artist at that time. She did mixed-media and owned a studio at the family house. Growing up, I witnessed her commissioned work or watched her create personal projects. It was a magical experience being in that studio, even if at that age I really didn’t understand exactly what she was doing. I would see how she would create things on canvas and take images, cut them out and create collages. It was a very art-oriented family. Today, my brother does abstract drawings and paintings, and my sister’s a graphic illustrator, so it’s something that definitely resonates among a lot of members of my family.
On adjusting to a new culture
There was that transition of trying to adapt. Sometimes it got to a point where I would feel a little alienated, but I think everyone has to go through that, right? That’s the process even if you get a new job, and it’s a totally new industry. I appreciate that experience, because it definitely had an impact on who I am today — as far as being more open-minded and being more receptive to change, new things and new experiences.
On race and spirituality
I’m a very spiritual individual, and I tend to touch on topics that dig deep into the spirit and the mind. We do have different races, but at the end of the day we are one human race, and one thing that we can all connect with is spirituality. The fundamentals of spirituality are something that we all share. If we’re able to come together in that realm, a lot of issues can be solved. I shot a work called Nirvana a long time ago and it kind of dwells in the idea of spiritual maturity and growth, enlightenment and mindfulness. I’ve had a lot of people resonate with that. It’s beautiful when you see every race resonate with the work.
“Brightness, inspiration and optimism. That’s what I feel when I’m flying to LA.”
next stop: LA
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For more exceptional creators, visit www.exceptionalalien.com
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