Satellite Voices

Dubai

Community: Candy Kennedy

May 9, 2011

A local spotlight on one of Dubai’s most exciting fashion image makers

• Text by Kate Hazell

Describing her work as "fresh, different and energetic," Candy Kennedy's photography is edgy, dark and sprinkled with a quirky attitude amongst the midst of your more regular fashion editorials and portraits. "I find there is nothing more interesting than someone’s face," she says. "Especially when it’s fucked up and weird. I much prefer catching a model unknowingly posing than a stiff controlled pose. I get some of my best shots like that."

Satellite Voices: What makes you smile?
Candy Kennedy: I smile all the time, the smallest things can make me smile – from having a awesome shoot with beautiful pictures to coming home to my husband and son, to seeing a speeding car getting flashed by a speeding camera (as long as it wasn’t me) to a person tripping over something and then laughing about it. Life is beautiful and I can find something in anything that will makes me smile.

SV: What was the first thing you ever made?
Candy Kennedy: I made pom pom pencils! Yeah, these thing made me a lot of cash which I donated to a animal charity. I used to carry around my big briefcase filled with these pom poms stuck on pencils with weird little faces. It was either that or some weird hippy tie-dye t-shirts. I’m not sure which ones came first.

SV: What’s your dream project?
Candy Kennedy: Well my first dream project was to become a photographer and travel the world. That came true. The second was to publish my first book and now that’s almost true. I’ve just shot 150 black and white portraits of Cape Town gangsters which is being put together as we speak. Right now my biggest dream is to get over to L.A as fast as possible and start shooting celebrities and directing music videos. We are moving over to L.A this year so let’s see how it goes.

SV: Who’s work / art / music would you recommend on checking out?
Candy Kennedy: I would say the only thing that I find really creative here is ROBOT and Spark - they’re doing some really creative stuff here. And I know the Third Line Gallery has some cool exhibitions too.