Prince’s photographer Afshin Shahidi to launch London gallery exhibit with two Q&A sessions in February
2S Productions in partnership with The Violet Reality are delighted to announce two Q&A sessions in London with the renowned cinematographer and photographer Afshin Shahidi, to kick off his photo exhibition ‘Prince : A London Private View’. The Q&A sessions will be held between 6–9pm on the 27th & 28th February, and the exhibit itself will run from the 27th February to the 9th March, from 11am to 6pm.
This is an exclusive chance for devoted Prince fans to hear remarkable stories from Prince’s longest serving personal photographer. Released in late 2017, Afshin’s book showcases rare and intimate stills both on and off stage. And for the first time, Afshin will be offering limited edition fine art photography from his book to the public, as well as a few never seen before images.
Iranian-born Shahidi met the musician in their shared hometown of Minneapolis back in 1993 at Prince’s renowned recording studio, lyrically portrayed by the artist as “there aren’t any rules in Paisley Park”. Initially working as a cinematographer, Shahidi’s passion for creating still images was obvious to Prince who soon after invited him to photograph his then band, the New Power Generation.
After a trial period, and satisfied with the essence, Prince asked Shahidi to become his official still photographer. In this position, Shahidi captured Prince on stage and at play, in highly styled settings and in candid situations. He travelled with Prince from Panama, to Morocco, to London and beyond. The relationship between the two transitioned from professional peers, to duelling conversationalists, to trusted companions. Ultimately, Shahidi’s unique access to the notoriously inaccessible Prince gave him the opportunity to create indelible images of the icon.
These sessions will be hosted and moderated by Casey Rain and Kim Camilia of The Violet Reality, who, through their popular YouTube channel and social media presence are among the world’s leading authorities on the life and career of Prince. Their interview series, ‘Uncovering Prince’, has seen them travel the world to interview friends, artists and creatives who worked closely with Prince over the course of his career. These include Morris Hayes, Elisa Fiorillo, Anna Fantastic, Hans-Martin Buff, Nicole Nodland and Judith Hill. Their glowing reputation and credibility within the wider Prince community saw them granted VIP Media Passes to the annual Celebration at Prince’s Paisley Park complex, as well as delivering an academic talk at the ‘Prince From Minneapolis’ symposium at the University of Minnesota in 2018.
The cost of each ticket is £10, and all ticket-sale proceeds will be donated to the PRN Alumni Foundation, a charity started by former employees of Prince and Paisley Park who seek to continue his efforts supporting underprivileged youth to grow in music, tech, arts and education as well as assisting alumni members.
Tickets will be available on Friday 11th January from The Violet Reality’s page on Facebook and thevioletreality.com and limited to one per person on a first-come, first-served basis. To avoid disappointment, please act quickly as space is limited.
Kindly direct all enquiries to thevioletreality@gmail.com
