A portrait study of Somalian Jama Elmi, icon of West London and name London Best Dress Man by the Guardian. Jama owns over 80 suits in various bright colours. He walks all around West London to bring a smile on people’s faces which is part of his role as a social worker and use colour as a therapeutic tool.
These images were part of the exhibition at The Muse gallery in Portobello rd, West London in June 2024.
Prints are available to purchase in A2 or A1 size on Hahnemühle paper with certificate.
The Man of Colours
‘Clorwork Orange’
‘Green is Gold’
‘Pretty in Pink’
‘Harlequin’
‘House of Cards’
‘Black Magic’
‘Tea Time’
‘The Jester’
‘Skull and Bones’
‘The Red Baron’
‘Up in Smoke’
‘Papillon’
‘Kaleidoscope’
‘Lord of the Rings’
‘Don’t Look Back’
Jama Elmi
The psychology behind using flamboyant colours, textures, shapes and forms and how we make it work for you help boost our mood and enhance our general energy levels. However, it’s also important to note that the effect of these tones on our mood can be subjective and not everyone will have the same response.
For example, the colours we wear can also impact the people around us. Colour associations are ubiquitous : we typically wear black at funerals, white on wedding days, pastels in the summer, darker tones in Winter and warm tones in the Spring. While some associations have grown from tradition, there is an interesting evolution in how people use them today.
Colours is one of those amazing forms of self expression that flamboyant people use to best describe themselves to others. The colours shades and textures we use allow us to project what we are feeling, how we want to be seen, how we want others to recognise us and even how we want them to interact with us without actually saying very much at all. Here, Jama Elmi showcases the impact these different colours have had on shaping some people’s life and positively impacting our health and wellbeing.
The Muse Gallery - London W11
The Muse Gallery - London W11
Exhibition catalogue - ‘Flamboyant’
