Wojciech Jachyra

How did your education in art history and film studies influence your current approach to fashion and portrait photography?

At first glance, art history and film studies seem like disciplines that might not have much in common. Nothing could be further from the truth! They are sister fields and closely intertwined. Studying both fields significantly broadened my knowledge and horizons – they showed me how I could explore the topics that interest me and broaden their spectrum in photographic images, where to seek inspiration, and how to interpret them so that they guide the viewer through the topics discussed in the sessions.

I remember the time spent among students and listening to the qualified professors of the Polish Academy of Sciences from the Institute of Art in Warsaw as an incredibly creative time, fertile with new ideas, which I later successfully implemented.

In your series dedicated to the male body, you reference classical aesthetics and Greek ideals. What attracts you to this timeless representation of masculinity?

There came a point in my professional career when I was a bit tired of creating fashion photography. Everything was meticulously crafted, every frame, every styling, every pose. There was no room for spontaneity. Models were usually dressed from head to toe. I didn’t feel their true personality. I decided to change that. I thought, “I want to undress the models, see them as they really are, without the fashion image…”

I started creating male nude photography sessions four years ago and I continue to do them to this day. These projects initially served as a break from the commercial work I did every day, but now I see it differently. These projects allowed me to step outside my comfort zone and test my skills in a different field of photography. I looked at the male body in a similar way to how ancient sculptors viewed their models. I wanted to show the delicacy, ephemerality, and etherealness of the male body, but also the fragility and TRUTH that I felt was missing in commercial photography.

I decided to create nude photography that would be universal and timeless in its reception. It’s also beautiful that nude photography has begun to evolve in my work, and today I also create digital collages that incorporate elements of this discipline. The projects I’ve created so far have been recognized in several important competitions and exhibitions in Poland and the UK. The projects in question are: “PILLARS OF CREATION”, “Double Portrait of Daniel,” and “CONJUNCTION OF THE SPHERES”.

 Wojciech Jachyra | CONCRETE COWBOY | 2025

You often mention being inspired by Baron Wilhelm von Gloeden and Alfons Mucha. How do their visions manifest in your own photographic practice?

Both artists are incredibly important to me. I love their aesthetics and the way they depicted the male body. Gloeden’s photographs had a delicate and sophisticated aesthetic that harkened back to the art of Ancient Greece and Rome. Mucha, on the other hand, played with the suppleness of lines (including the body) and references to Slavic folklore, which also flows through my veins. This blend greatly stimulated my artistic vision.

Inspired by the work of both artists, I knew I could experiment with the form of the body and the use of certain symbols that are sometimes hidden in my photographic images. Thanks to them, I learned that I don’t have to show everything literally. Sometimes it’s worth sneaking in one key element that will capture the viewer’s attention, hold them before the image, and encourage them to delve deeper into the subject.

 Wojciech Jachyra | CONCRETE COWBOY | 2025

Your works freeze the body in motion, simultaneously introducing new context through composition. What interests you most about capturing movement in a static medium?

Movement and all its forms are an invisible language that communicates with the viewer. It invites us to peer into the world of the creator of a given project. My projects are no different. The body in my photographs tells its own stories, and each one deserves to be heard, analyzed, and reflected upon. The body can convey beauty, delight, dance, but also pain, suffering, and loss. After delving deeper into this world, we often realize how similar we all are… The body is clay, which can be molded in any way to convey what we wish to express through a photographic image to the viewer.

 Wojciech Jachyra | CONCRETE COWBOY | 2025

Fashion photography is a field in constant visual flux. How do you combine contemporary trends with a commitment to classic form and symbolism?

Fashion photography has the unique ability to be a universal language of communication with a wide range of audiences. Through fashion editorials, you can address important topics related to current events in the world. That’s why I love it and continue to do it.

From the beginning of my work as a fashion photographer, I focused on male models. Living in Warsaw, I noticed this was an untapped niche that needed to be filled. I was one of the first photographers to strive to restore men to their rightful place in the world of fashion and photography. At the same time, I knew I wanted to do it on my own terms. I wanted this man to be unique and unconventional, feisty, and unafraid to experiment with fashion. Hence, in my photographs, men wear skirts and heavy combat boots, wide shirts, and colorful, avant-garde hats with BUFFALO-style newspaper torn-out designs, makeup, and archetypal symbols combined with Polish folklore. I included some of the fashion editorials I created, which were shown in Poland and abroad, in my own book “BOYS”, which was published by the Warsaw publishing house Anagram in 2022.

 Wojciech Jachyra | CONCRETE COWBOY | 2025

How does living in London influence your current creative process compared to your previous years working in Poland and Paris?

London is amazing! This city is a cradle for artists from all over the world. I have access to an endless supply of inspiration here in the form of museums, fashion events, workshops, and exhibitions. All of this really drives and stimulates me to continue creating and defining the world of fashion and photography through my own perspective. For that, I’m incredibly grateful!

Every place I’ve had the opportunity to live and work in has been unique, and I realize, looking back, it was essential for me as my artistic personality and unique perspective developed. Each city inspired me and stimulated my imagination in a different way. France, then Poland, and now the United Kingdom and the United States. Each country has something different and beautiful about it that attracts me on many levels. I’m thrilled to be able to travel more and more, create my projects with the biggest agencies and their models, and expand my work internationally. I’m a lucky man!