Brooklyn native and graduate of School of Visual Arts photography BFA program, Rayon Richards’ work was first published, 19 years ago in the summer of 2001 while he was still enrolled in school. Since then, he has amassed an amazing body of work with images that have appeared on the covers and pages of several publications such as O: The Oprah Magazine, Wall Street Journal, Fast Company and Huffington Post Magazine. He has also worked with record labels such as Universal Records and Island/Def Jam as well as brands like Footlocker and Benjamin Moore Paint.
Nine years into a career that was dominated primarily by portraits, he decided to explore his love for interior design by venturing into the world of interior, architecture & furniture photography. This expansion has developed into a tremendous passion for living spaces, as he sees them as an extension of the people who inhabit them. It is his belief that the years of experience he gained while photographing people have informed his ability to see the personality in a living space.
I’m inspired by wildlife, particularly the family structures of elephants and orca whales
What Does Black History Month Mean To You This Year?
As a person who doesn’t observe holidays, Black History Month doesn’t mean much to me this year than any other year. In my daily living, I remain conscious not only of the sacrifices that have been made by the generations that came before me; but equally as important, of all the achievements, both recognized and largely unrecognized by mainstream society. Black history is everyday; and though Black History Month was created by Carter G. Woodson, a Black man, I believe that dedicating a month to focus on the history of Black people in this country perpetuates the “otherness” of Black people which racism relies heavily on. Black history is American history, and separating it gives people who are willfully ignorant an opportunity to opt out of learning about Black contributions to the foundation of this country and to their everyday lives. Fear, ignorance and miseducation are the greatest threats to Black people’s survival, but a lot can change when our history is integrated and people don’t have the choice to learn about it.
Doing what I can to slow down climate change. If everyone does a little that will amount to a lot. 32 years ago during the Reagan administration there was an opportunity to stop climate change completely but oil lobbyists won over the environment and so while we’ve gone past the point of no-return, we can still slow things down for subsequent generations to come.
What’s Trending For You Now In 2020?
I’m currently inspired by minimalism. Not only in my living space but also in my life overall. Less really is more. When there is less clutter, there is more clarity. Day-by-day I’m realizing that life is more fulfilling when you focus on possessing essential items as opposed to just acquiring unnecessary things solely because you have to ability to.
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