MALLE Shoot with NY Photographer Ruvan Wijesooriya

Malle-Ruvan

Malle Shoot with

NY Photographer Ruvan Wijesooriya

Infamous downtown New York photographer Ruvan Wijesooriya, recently worked with MALLE London
to shoot the MALLE look book and capture the essence of the Smoke luggage collection.

After the chaos of BMX’s bicycles and vintage motorcycles, we caught up with Ruvan to ask him a few questions about his craft:

What’s your craft?

Photography and related art activities. And the craft of getting away with things, I suppose.

What are you currently working on?

I am on vacation for the first time in many years, so I’m working my tan. Ha! No really, while on vacation I’m finishing duties I have as the image department for Cavalli Menswear – ad campaigns, image books, etc.  I am also about to send final pictures to be in a book and exhibition – Don’t Stop Now: Fashion Photography Next, published by Thames and Hudson and showing at the Foam Museum in Amsterdam this summer. I’m editing for some exhibitions with abstract photographs I shot in the Amazon. I’m also completing a few book projects featuring my nightlife and music photography, another about the country of Sweden, another featuring beautiful women and yet another about getting away with things in the nighttime.

What are your favourite tools and what won’t you leave the house without?

Cameras and film.

Where do you go to play and have fun?

Everywhere.

What’s your attitude to work and play, is there a line?

Not really. I love to work because I love what I do and make sure that I don’t stray too far from that. I think I make work play for myself, and to be honest, pictures of people playing say more about them than pictures of people working.

What was it like working with Malle (favourite moment)?

Robert and Jonny are good friends of mine, so working was more like playing. The whole thing was fun – I think Jonny is more relaxed than Robert, so my favorite moment was when Robert chilled the F**k out and started to embrace the shoot as play more than work. Ha!! After the shoot we went karaokeing in Koreatown, which was also a lot of fun.

Which is your favourite Malle tool bag?

I like them all, though I prefer the larger shoulder bag since I can fit a lot of camera gear in it. I do like the dull, waxed black more than the other colors. The craftsmanship and design is understated, but if you are detail oriented you can see how fantastic the bags really are. In many ways I would like to think I have the same characteristics.

Ruvan Wijesooriya is a photographer based in New York City. After starting a skateboard company, working for fashion stylists and being a music journalist in his first 25 years, Ruvan became attracted to the storytelling qualities of analog photography. His unique vision consistently and seamlessly blurs the lines between life, art and commerce in subject areas ranging from landscapes to fashion, music to flowers. His photographs are a record of his interests, passions and inspirations, his approach always immediate, genuine and curious.

 

Learn more about Ruvan and his work here: www.ruvan.com