Bisi Otulana explores: What is a suit to a man?
For What Is a Suit to a Man, we spoke with artist and photographer Bisi Otulana about a series that places the tailored suit and metal armour side by side, not as opposites, but as tools built for performance, protection and expectation. Shot in studio, the project examines how masculinity is costumed, how strength is rehearsed, and how clothing becomes a kind of defence for moments that demand composure, confidence and impact. Through precise lighting and considered styling, the images sit in the space between ceremony and confrontation, asking what it really means to dress for pressure rather than comfort.
Creative Direction, Photography and Styling: Bisi Otulana (@reflectionsinfocus, @BisiOtulana)
Model: Praise Levi (@thtspraise)
Creative Co-Director: Tony Hall (@Tonyjhall)
Lighting: Uchenna Aduaka (@uchennaaduaka_)
BTS Photography and Lighting Assistant: James Asante Jr. (@James.juice, @byjames.jr)
We want to talk about how you have explored the suit and the armour as two tools of the same kind. Can you elaborate on this point with us and tell us what you were hoping to convey in this set?
Within this work, I wanted to draw comparisons between a suit and metal armour. My idea came from the fact that both pieces prepare the person wearing them for a big event. For the suit, people wear them for job interviews, graduations, weddings, places where you need to look your best and perform exceptionally. The armour has a somewhat similar effect, as it grants the wearer the reassurance of protection from an impending battle or conflict. Through the use of these very distinct yet similar pieces, I found it important to convey how suits are used as a way to rise up to the occasion and also as a form of protection, reassurance, and confidence.
We see ideas of protection, readiness and the performance of strength through the use of metal armour and the suit. Would you agree with our interpretation of this?
I completely do. It’s really important to note and highlight how suits are used in our society and shed light on this key point.
We see discourse within these images about how men are taught to occupy space, how they are expected to look composed under pressure, and what it means to dress for impact rather than comfort. Do you have any additional comments to make on this?
When I was coming up with this idea and making these images, these points also came up for me. Because of the importance of this idea at this point in time, it’s a huge underlying conversation I want viewers to also have when seeing these images. I do feel like our society places an emphasis on men to be composed and prepared, and at times the act of being “strong” is somewhat a facade and a performance to seek validation from peers and the outside world. As we start to have further conversations and discourse around these topics, however, I hope that we can start to deconstruct the way men are taught to occupy space and welcome new ways of thinking that can benefit men’s mental health and our relationships within society.
We also wondered if you could tell us more about how it was shot, for example which type of camera, if this is something you'd like to share with the audience?
Yes, I’m definitely comfortable sharing. I shot the project completely in studio on both digital (Sony A7III) and a medium format film camera (Mamiya RZ67). I used a soft box and two strobes to get the desired lighting. More info on the setup and tools used are also on my TikTok (@reflectionsinfocus).