Photographer Romain Mayambi faucets into his roots whereas capturing athletes in unconventional areas
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An ongoing collection of picture essays by Black photographers that Spotlight Black excellence in sport.
Cincinnati-based photographer Romain Mayambi’s ongoing collection “Athletes in Unconventional Spaces” was impressed by a baseball discipline.
“I remember coming across this beautiful baseball field where the dirt looked absolutely perfect, and I thought to myself, ‘I need to shoot something fun here,’” Mayambi mentioned.
He determined to {photograph} jiu-jitsu fighters on the sphere, pondering it might be a one-off shoot. However, the ensuing pictures grew to become the muse for Mayambi’s collection, which continued with visuals of different sports activities.
“The concept has always been about placing athletes in spaces where you wouldn’t expect to see them while still creating images that feel authentic and connected to both the sport and the location,” he mentioned. “I want people to look at these photographs and pause for a second to see sports in a completely different way.”
The thought of taking images of FC Cincinnati gamers in Cincinnati Music Hall, one of many metropolis’s oldest and most iconic buildings, was rather more private, he mentioned. Mayambi, who’s initially from the Democratic Republic of Congo, grew up taking part in soccer.
“I wanted to create something that honored the sport while finding a location that felt just as beautiful and meaningful. … I wanted to create something unconventional within such a historic space,” he mentioned. “It felt like the perfect way to celebrate both the game and a piece of Cincinnati’s history.”
Mayambi spoke to Andscape concerning the inspiration behind the soccer pictures in his images collection, the creative decisions he made whereas capturing and what he hopes viewers take away from the images.
This interview has been edited for size and readability.
Who are these three athletes?
All three athletes move for FC Cincinnati: Miles Robinson, Kenji Mboma Dem and Ayoub Jabbari. Robinson additionally earned a spot on the U.S. males’s nationwide squad’s World Cup roster, which makes having him concerned much more particular.
Why this theater?
I’ve at all times believed sports activities are extremely creative. Watching athletes carry out on the highest degree appears like poetry in movement. Music Hall has that very same class and rhythm, so pairing soccer with that house simply made sense to me. I at all times attempt to match every sport with a location that enhances it in an sudden approach whereas nonetheless feeling pure.
Why the completely different ball varieties?
Growing up in Africa, we didn’t at all times have entry to an actual soccer ball, so we made our personal utilizing plastic baggage and string. Those selfmade balls allowed us to move day-after-day no matter what we had. I recreated one particularly for this shoot as a tribute to my childhood and my roots. That element made this mission particularly significant to me.
What would you like folks to remove from this collection?
More than something, I would like folks to reconnect with that feeling of childhood, when the world felt vibrant and creativeness got here naturally. The collection is about not letting preconceived notions dictate the place you belong. It’s about breaking limitations, embracing curiosity, and inserting your self in areas the place folks would possibly say you don’t belong.
What does it imply to have fun these distinctive Black athletes on this approach?
It means rather a lot to me. Throughout the shoot, you might genuinely see the enjoyment on their faces. It wasn’t simply one other coaching session; it gave them an opportunity to move, discover, and reconnect with that childlike sense of surprise. Seeing that real pleasure made the mission much more rewarding.
FC Cincinnati ahead Ayoub Jabbari juggles a soccer ball beneath a chandelier in Music Hall. “This image was created to showcase the beauty of Music Hall’s iconic chandelier and ornate ceiling while capturing the elegance and rhythm of soccer in motion,” Mayambi mentioned.Romain Mayambi
Jabbari (proper) and Miles Robinson (left) move a soccer ball forwards and backwards on the balcony of Music Hall. “I wanted to highlight the architecture while showing the players interacting naturally within such an unexpected environment,” Mayambi mentioned. Romain Mayambi
Kenji Mboma Dem performs a rainbow flick with a hand-crafted ball in Music Hall. “This photograph centers around the handmade ball, which represents an important part of my childhood,” Mayambi mentioned. “Growing up, we often made soccer balls from plastic bags and string, and including one in this series was my way of honoring those memories.”Romain Mayambi
Photographer Romain Mayambi explains why the above picture is his favourite from the Music Hall shoot.
“One player [Robinson, right] rests his foot on the ball while the other [Jabbari, left] stands at the edge of the balcony,” Mayambi mentioned. “I think of this image as the calm before the storm, a quiet moment before the action begins.”Romain Mayambi
From left: Kenji Mboma Dem, Miles Robinson and Ayoub Jabbari. “This is a simple portrait of all three players together, highlighting both the athletes and the symbolic significance of the handmade ball,” Mayambi mentioned.Romain Mayambi
Robinson (left) rests his foot on a soccer ball whereas Mboma Dem dribbles within the background. “This image plays with perspective, contrasting stillness and movement within the same frame,” Mayambi mentioned. “I wanted to create something visually engaging by allowing the eye to move naturally between both athletes.”Romain Mayambi
Mboma Dem (left), Robinson (middle) and Jabbari (again) move a soccer ball round in a triangular formation inside Music Hall. “This was one of my favorite compositions because of the framing and unusual perspective,” Mayambi mentioned. “It also continues the theme of using the architecture of Music Hall to emphasize the scale of the space.”Romain Mayambi
Kenji Mboma Dem (left), Miles Robinson (middle) and Ayoub Jabbari (again) move a soccer ball round in a triangular formation inside Music Hall. “This was one of my favorite compositions because of the framing and unusual perspective,” Mayambi mentioned. “It also continues the theme of using the architecture of Music Hall to emphasize the scale of the space.”Romain Mayambi
Jabbari (from left), Mboma Dem and Robinson put together to manage soccer and handmade balls inside Music Hall. “These images focus on authentic moments you’d see during a match, celebrating the athleticism and artistry of soccer,” Mayambi mentioned. “To me, it’s art in motion.”Romain Mayambi
Jabbari (high left), Mboma Dem (high proper) and Robinson (backside) move with soccer and handmade balls inside Music Hall in Cincinnati. “These images focus on authentic moments you’d see during a match, celebrating the athleticism and artistry of soccer,” Mayambi mentioned. “To me, it’s art in motion.”Romain Mayambi
Mboma Dem (from left) and Jabbari kick a hand-crafted plastic ball forwards and backwards in Music Hall. “I wanted this sequence to focus on the handmade ball and show that despite its humble construction, it performs much like a traditional soccer ball, a tribute to the creativity and resourcefulness of my childhood,” Mayambi mentioned.Romain Mayambi
Mboma Dem juggles a soccer ball in an aisle of the balcony in Music Hall. “This is another image created to showcase the beauty and scale of Music Hall while capturing the fluid movement of the game within an unexpected setting,” Mayambi mentioned.Romain Mayambi
Romain Mayambi is a Congolese-American photographer based mostly in Cincinnati. His work explores the intersection of style, id and cultural storytelling, utilizing images as a instrument to have fun presence, belonging and human connection. Born within the Democratic Republic of Congo and raised between cultures, he brings a worldwide perspective to his lens — one rooted in empathy, curiosity and visible honesty.
