Illustrado interviews Lope Navo, Filipino International Fashion Photographer. Known for his work for Dior, L’officiel Hommes, Esquire and more, Navo shares his insights, personal story and artistic journey on this edition of Artist Spotlight.
Tell us about yourself. What kind of art do you make? Feel free to include your personal story.
I’m a fashion photographer, but I started off as an oil painter when I was a teenager. I’ve had a strong art history background, and my paintings were exhibited across competitions in Manila, as well as sold to art aficionados when I was in college (where I graduated Cum Laude with a Bachelor in Fine Arts).
Throughout my photography career, I was commissioned by many magazines and personalities, including the House of Dior – where I’ve had my pieces exhibited alongside famous photography personalities. As a fashion photographer, I had the rare opportunity to be in several continents for decades – from North and South America, to Asia and Europe. I was born and raised in the east, but grew up in the west.
How did you become passionate about art? What inspires you?
When I was in college, I obsessed over print magazines. I collected many of them as a teenager, and I remember bringing home issues of Interview Magazine, Details, and Detour (all of which are defunct, and now collectibles). I would memorize celebrity portraits and fashion magazine cover I had.
Light inspires me, as well as beauty and symmetry – the even-ness of well lit things. I get inspired by even the most mundane things. I believe there’s no such thing as a boring day, boring city, or a boring people. It may feel like being a shark in a fishbowl, but mundane situations challenge me to become more of an artist.
Have you had any significant events through your artistic career? Exhibitions, showcases, etc. Tell us about your accolades.
I’m the first Filipino fashion photographer that shot for L’Officiel Hommes Magazine, Esquire and Lady Dior – all of which were my biggest paychecks too. Although money is a tool, it also serves as validation, especially working in the Luxury Industry.
‘Carnaval de Cores’ was the title of the piece commissioned by Lady Dior. It world-premiered at Instituto Tomie Ohtake, in Sao Paulo in 2013. It was then curated in the next few years across events across Taipei, Art Basel Hong Kong, Bangkok, and Berlin this year. My work was displayed among the works of other top notch photographers, including Peter Lindburgh, Bruce Weber, Nan Goldin, and even David Lynch.
What can you say about the fashion community? What are the good parts and the bad parts (if any)?
The good part of fashion is that I’m surrounded with a ‘fountain of youth’. I was always in the cool company of like-minded and beautiful people. Though, it can be a double edged sword, as there are also many egotistic and vain personalities. Then again, fashion is also about thinking of yourself, otherwise it wouldn’t work.
What are some of the challenges that you face as an artist? How do you get past them?
The most difficult day in the life of a photographer, especially when you work in fashion, is when you are trying to balance message versus sheer aesthetic.
I ask myself, “Am I taking this photograph because I want to be a political activist? A staunch environmentalist? Or am I a photographer because I want to simply appreciate raw unadulterated beauty in all its simplicity?”
“In the end, I believe that the most effective fashion photographs are the ones with a clear fashion voice. Sometimes, you have to choose between beauty and brains, because it can’t always be both unfortunately.”
What’s your message to artists around the world? Especially with a younger generation of artists on the rise.
There are more fashion photographers now more than ever. Social media has exploded, and now there are thousands of hopefuls who dream of being on the cover of Vogue Magazine. Being privileged to have lived and worked worldwide, I’ve experienced many things. My takeout: the good days bring you happiness, and the bad ones give you experience.
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What’s your process of creation?
How does your work represent you?
What were your most notable recent projects?
My Art
I believe that each person has a mission in life. Each individual has a calling to do something productive in life and spread that message to the world and even be an agent of change in her own little way. As human beings, many of us tend to just look at the big picture immediately without seeing value in the small things. I value small things a lot. It is through a small seed that a big tree is produced. Nothing happens overnight. It takes time, it takes dedication, it takes commitment for goals to be achieved.
I have always been drawing since childhood. This passion continued throughout my growing up years, and on thru high school, and eventually to college where I took up Fine Arts. After college, I still pursued advanced studies in Watercolor, Drawing and Painting in Washington D.C. This was in the 70’s.
My Process
First of all, I think of what subject I want to create. Will it be a still life composition of inanimate objects? Will it be a woman’s face? Will it be an abstract piece? Then I research – especially if it’s intended for a show or if it’s a commissioned work. But if these are just studies to further hone my craft, then I just go directly to my sketchpad. Aside from personal research, I do a lot of observation: people’s expressions, tiny rays of colors that form on a piece of rock, a chunk of driftwood in our backyard, etc. Inspiration is a natural thing for me. I do not have to wait to be inspired. I do not have to wait if I’m in the mood. I just let it flow out of my heart. Love should always be the motivating factor.
My Journey Thus Far
After all the education I received in Art, I did get to use it in two teaching jobs, and in our church ministry as a Visual Artist and also in a multi-media outfit. But somewhere along the journey, I got segued into two different careers, one after the after. One was in media, the 2nd one in PR. So for a hiatus of 15 long years from 1997 – 2012, I totally stopped drawing! In fact I was already beginning to lose confidence in myself and was scared to even hold a brush. It took the passing of one of my pet cats, Simba, to stir up that dormant spirit in me, to wake me up to my artistic senses once more, to allow this sad situation be turned into a fresh, new opportunity. I grabbed the nearest sketchpad and some coloring pencils and started drawing again. I took a shot of it and posted the image in my Facebook timeline. It garnered so many likes that my morale was boosted. Then I did a 2nd artwork, and a 3rd one, and I never stopped since. My love for art was restored, refueled by a passion I can’t explain.
I just concluded my first One Woman Show in September of 2016. The theme was, “Boho Chic,” because of my love for bohemian and hippie fashion. With my knowledge and background in both the Fine Arts and Fashion Illustration, I mixed these two entirely different disciplines together and came up with the concept of an all-women collection, with 26 females clad in bohemian fashion, and a style that is a fusion of art and fashion. These 26 females were each named after the elements. Names synonymous to earth, the environment or nature. The titles of the paintings were named after the 26 letters of the alphabet. I had Aura, Blaze, Storm, Tulip, Willow and others.
Moving forward…
In my mind, I have many different plans but have not really sat down to study the market yet. In a world where commercialism thrives, art can pose a lot of challenges. But I really want people to be educated. To see the art industry as a vital part of life. That it is not just some person’s “hobby.” That it should be given the recognition it deserves and not just be a poor cousin of some other profession.
My advice to my fellow artists
There is no end to learning. There is no limit to fulfilling one’s dreams. No matter how young or old a person is, if he sets his mind and heart in achieving his goals and never give up hoping, he will see his dream come true. So I really want to encourage people who are on the verge of giving up in pursuing their dreams… DON’T!!!
