Bio:
“Christian Pastor” to “Nude Photographer”. This is a story about intentional inner reflection and visual artistic expression. Eli Samuel grew up in the Pentecostal Christian Church and spent his childhood in Thailand as a missionary with his family. As he grew up, he followed in his father’s footsteps to become a Pastor in the Church. At this point photography was only a hobby. Photography's
presence in his life started a journey that would end up unravelling his faith. That process helped Eli discover who he is. Christianity's conservatism, the nervousness around lust and sexuality created conflict. Eli has a natural eye for subject matter surrounding the human body. This naturally created friction in his faith and a deep unrest. Eventually, he moved out of Church leadership and pursued a photography career full-time when he was 25. Since then, he has dedicated his life to photographic exploration and expression. His photography work focuses on humans. The textures of human skin, the emotions on human faces, the stories that come through human eyes, the lust in human bodies, and the roles humans play in nature. There is love in his work, which can be contributed to his upbringing in Christianity. You also observe connections in his work, which photography helped him to hone. As an Artist, there is peace when those two most important parts of who he is are reconciled.
“My art is my devout attempt to be true to who I am without presuppositions.” - Eli Samuel
