An ongoing portrait project · Lexington, Kentucky
In Their
Element
The people who make with their hands—and the places, tools, and rituals that shape the work.
Enter the project
The project
A portrait is different
when the work continues.
Lexington is full of people whose ideas become something tangible: a garment cut and fitted, clay formed, metal worked, leather shaped, ingredients transformed. Their knowledge lives not only in the finished object, but in repetition, instinct, and the small decisions made along the way.
In Their Element is a long-form portrait series by Femi Oyeniran. Rather than separate each person from their craft, the project meets them where the work happens and leaves room for the process to unfold.
The series is in progress. New portraits and stories will be added as each chapter is completed.
The visual thread
More than a person
beside their tools.
- 01
The person
A portrait with presence—who they are before the explanation begins.
- 02
The process
Hands at work, practiced movements, and the details that usually go unseen.
- 03
The place
The light, surfaces, tools, and traces of work that make each environment particular.
The first chapter
Fashion makers
of Lexington.
The series begins with the designers, tailors, and independent clothing makers shaping a visual language of their own in Lexington. Each session is built around real work in progress—not a studio portrait dressed to resemble it.
As the body of work grows, the project will move through other forms of making across the city while keeping the same attention on person, process, and place.
“The finished piece matters. So does everything it took to arrive there.”
An open invitation
Do you make something
in Lexington?
I’m meeting a small group of local artisans for the next chapters of the series. If the work is part of who you are—and you are open to being photographed while making it—I’d like to hear from you.
Introduce yourself ← Return to featured work