In my portraiture work, I favor candid moments and expressions of ones emotions; In my photomontage work I’m looking to invite curiosity through distortion, close examination and impossibility.
All with the purpose of creating stories.
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Up until this shoot I’ve. Always done things by “feeling”. Bringing in a subject, having some conversation and shooting as we do. Even with my photomontage, the “reference” was spontaneous inspiration.
This time I wanted to try my hand at an editorial style shoot. To that end, I launched myself into proper study creative direction. The resulting images are not only striking but symbolic of a new direction and way for me to go about my practice.
Photography[Digital]: Xevi Aqeel | Creative Direction: Xevi Aqeel | Wardrobe: Neelum Khae
© 2026
While attending school at Parsons, I’d regularly approach my classmates and peers to gauge their interest in having their portrait[s] made. If they were interested, I’d make use of the many studio classrooms that were open on the weekend[s].
Deborah had a different idea.
She suggested we shoot in her apartment .
Photography[Digital]: Xevi Aqeel
© 2017
While attending school at Parsons, I’d regularly approach my classmates and peers to gauge their interest in having their portrait[s] made. If they were interested, I’d make use of the many studio classrooms that were open on the weekend[s].
Deborah had a different idea.
She suggested we shoot in her apartment. Warily agreed having not done this kind of thing before. What came from it was a different kind of portrait. One comprised of not a single photo, but several. And in those photos were more than Deborah’s form; it was her work, her thoughts, her life and inspiration.
