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THE JOURNEY TO IRUN KIKO | ELENA ADENIYI
INTERVIEW | Written: Yewayi Mushaya
08.08.2025
It was a joy to extend my sit-down with Elena beyond our main conversation and ask a few additional questions in the lead-up to her debut group exhibition, IRUN KIKO.
While our earlier discussion delved into her cultural roots and artistic beginnings, this Q&A offered a candid glimpse into Elena’s evolving practice.
She reflected on her intuitive, fashion-forward approach to photography, the misconceptions that still surround the craft in 2025, and her navigation of a male-dominated field as a young female artist. We also touched on her multi-disciplinary exploration through Sieko Studio, where hair becomes both medium and message, as well as her growth since her first exhibition and the exciting possibilities ahead—including a documentary-style project in Nigeria.
With the recent release of her first monograph, Àwànílé, Elena continues to prove herself as an artist who not only dreams but sees her visions through.
Interviewer: How would you define your photography and relationship with art?
Elena: I’d call it experimental, intuitive (thinking of ideas and bringing them to life), cutesy, and fashion-forward. I love showcasing modern aesthetics with a sense of home and personal identity.
Interviewer: What common misconceptions do you think people have about the craft of photography, especially in the digital age, and just common misconceptions in general?
Elena: Mhhh, I think more so, and this is even in the year 2025,a big one is that AI can just replace photographers. People ask, “Why do we need photographers if AI can generate images?” But it’s not that simple. Photography isn’t just about producing an image; it’s about vision and creativity. Besides that, I think a misconception among the older generation is that you’re just taking photos, and there’s no further intricacy. In addition, a personal misconception I face is that a lot of people assume that I’m a guy.
Interviewer: Wait, are you serious!
Elena: Yes, a lot of the time, people assume I’m male. I’ll get messages like, “Hey bro” or “What’s up, man,” even though I have my pronouns in my bio.
Interviewer: Do you think that’s because photography is still such a male-dominated space, and that there’s maybe a lack of female photographers?
Elena: 100%. There is a big lack of female photographer presence. I find it crazy that I even have to talk about it, but there are so many female photographers who are doing cool things too—just as there are so many amazing male photographers. Both occupy the space, so it’s just funny when it happens.
Interviewer: I want to talk about how your experience as a multi-disciplinary artist has been. You’ve been exploring the realm of hair through your platform, Sieko Studio. Is there something you wish people knew further about this venture in addition to your photography?
Elena: The fact that our hair itself can be a body of work or manipulated to produce one is so fascinating to me. Like, think about it—our hair can also be art! I’ve been doing my own hair for years, and I think the exploration of art through hair has become more of a modern thing, and I’ve personally enjoyed the beauty in this. Just like my photography, my hairstyling is about working backwards and trying to achieve the ideas I have in my head, but also what I find online. I see it and think, Wow, I can do that!
Interviewer: I had the pleasure of meeting you and seeing your work for the first time either in 2021 or 2022 at your first exhibition. How would you say you’ve grown as an artist since then?
Elena: Damn, how time flies. I would definitely say that my style has grown since my first exhibition. I think in my knowledge of what to do, and the resources I have access to, but also in the style of how I shoot. I have become better at editing and refining my eye. Those firsts that I had were so important in shaping the trajectory of where I was going, and now where I am. Due to those initial chances and opportunities, I’ve been able to continually grow as an artist.
Interviewer: Now, with the recent release of your book, what period or space would you say you’re currently in? Are you in a period of rest, or are you in a period of further pursuit? What is next?
Elena: This has been the first time that I haven’t had a specific plan after the release of a body of work. I think if you ask anyone in my life, they will always tell you that I am always doing something. Like, I have the intention of wanting to get my book stocked and everything like that, but obviously, in terms of what’s ahead, I’m not particularly sure. I have a trip coming up in Nigeria at the end of the year, and I think I want to shoot something that’s more documentary style, so I am excited for that.
Interviewer: And how would you say you’d want yourself to be perceived or remembered by others?
Elena: It may seem a bit casual, but I just want to be remembered as somebody who did stuff—somebody who put themselves into things and always saw it through. I think one of my biggest strengths as an artist has been the fact that everything that I say I want to do, regardless of how long it may take or if it only manifests in the future, I do see it through.
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