Rising Stars: Meet A Klass of Los Angeles

Today we’d like to introduce you to A Klass.

A, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Art has always been a part of my life, who I am, and my thought process. From a young age it became a big part of how I engaged with and understood the world around me. Especially as a kid that felt lost and confused by what society was feeding me in terms of identity and community. My growth and self-discovery as a person evolved in tandem with my evolution as an artist. When I fell in love with photography specifically, I fell hard. Though my path to becoming a professional photographer was a slow and steady one, that specific love was always present. Especially with film photography. Now having over 20 years of taking photos and over 10 years experience as a professional, it has never felt more right. My passion and love for this medium, its power and connection to community burns brighter every day. Always knowing that art was going to be my future, it became all about spending many years honing in on what my calling within that was. All of these ingredients blossomed into my favorite thing to photograph being the human experience. In all of its beauty, complexity and infinite variation. I try my best to blend my work into a hybrid of editorial style with a documentarian’s rawness. Loving to showcase the communities that are less seen. To create some of the representation I wish I grew up with. As well as bring that style to my work that reaches beyond that focus. Bringing the audience into the world of the image in a way that hopefully feels instantly archival.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Not in the slightest, but I wouldn’t change a thing. It has been a lifelong journey that has led me exactly where I am meant to be, and I don’t know a single person whose life hasn’t been fraught with challenges. No one I trust anyway. I view the relationship with art and creativity the same as I do any relationship with a living being. It is very alive with ebbs and flows, and is affected by the external elements surrounding it. Since I was born with this inherent need to engage with art, I tried my best to go about making it my future in the ways society told me that I had to. That led to me dropping out of college twice and finally getting an autism diagnosis. Realizing that we don’t always have to plug ourselves in perfectly to the equations of life that we are place upon us (in any context), is a massive shift that I hope everyone can experience sooner or later. Just because something doesn’t have a smooth and easy road ahead, does not mean it is not still worth doing. Especially when it creates such a spark inside of you. Follow that spark in all parts of life, it will never lead you astray.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I think people know my work most for my portraiture and my ability to connect with those in front of my lens in a way that displays their vulnerability and their strengths simultaneously. I think that sets me apart in a way that I am very proud of. When reflecting on where I am today and the things I have overcome and accomplished, I can’t help but feel proud of so many parts of my story. A huge one for me has been giving artist talks at colleges over the years. Especially as a drop out, to be asked to come back because my story and work have importance is so beautiful to me. And is something I never would have seen for myself when I was younger. To start my life feeling so powerless and meaningless, to then having so many people over the years tell me that my work has been so meaningful for them to see, feel, or be a part of just means the absolute to me in a way that is difficult to fully articulate. And something I’ll never fully get used to experiencing. It will always be a big deal to me that I will hold close to my heart for the rest of my life.

Can you share something surprising about yourself?
I feel like if people know me mainly through social media or my work, they may not know how silly I am in nature. I have done a few portraiture workshops as well as the artist talks, and I always like to stress during them that the concept of “being cool” is pure nonsense. No one is above anyone else, and how we treat others defines a large part of our character. Don’t be afraid to be yourself and don’t be afraid to love openly. And while I post a lot of serious, community-based things on social media, I balance that out with as much humor and joy in the world as I can. Laughing truly is medicine and joy is power.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://awklass.com
• Instagram: @transnormativity

Image Credits
Each person’s name is credited in the image file’s name