Campbell Addy and Ibby Njoya <3 to Share

Thoughts spring out of Campbell Addy and Ibby Njoya like slinkies, new from the plastic box. One mentions a drawing class, the other references a university; one says “what” and the other asks “why?”; one poses a theoretical problem and the other offers a pragmatic solution. Their dialogue is meandering and chaotic, making it all the more difficult for a third-wheeler to follow along. There are some clear throughlines nonetheless. The first is that collaboration is an essential part of creating art. For Addy—the Isabella Blow-awarded fashion photographer who has worked with stars like Kendall Jenner, Tim Cook, FKA Twigs and Naomi Campbell—collaboration is successful when two people are serious enough to "respect each other’s words" but unserious enough to scrap an unresolved idea. For Njoya, his texture-filled set designs for magazines like Vogue, GQ, Bazaar, Perfect and Dazed are fashioned when collaboration is centred around communication. “It’s important to be able to tell someone, ‘I see this for you’, even though they might not see it for themselves,” he explains.
Addy and Njoya were in Melbourne on the occasion of the announcement of the 11th Ballarat International Foto Biennale, which Addy will headline with the exhibition I <3 Campbell. Njoya will design the exhibition, bringing to life a newly conceived set of photographs, original paintings and a short film that was shot on location in Ghana. Without seeing the exhibition, it can only be assumed that the walls will be studded with Addy’s images of models and actors, each as fierce and self-made as the next. Though the conversation below does not mention specific photographs or projects, it illuminates Addy and Njoya’s endearing friendship. The two reflect on their differing viewpoints, the challenges of cancel culture, their commitment to consistency, and their desire for ideas, which, as Addy's university tutor once reminded him, are ultimately what "make money."
RACHEL WEINBERG There’s a common misconception that success requires working in isolation or constantly competing with others. However, Campbell, your collaboration with Ibby seems to emphasise mutual respect and community. Has this always been the case, or did this you develop this relationship over time?
CAMPBELL ADDY When I first started working, I was quite isolated. A lot of my thoughts were silenced even before I could even think them. I just thought of a time when I was in eighth grade and we had to do a life drawing of an apple. I was so obsessed with what other people were doing and thinking that I came to think my work wasn’t good enough. My art teacher could see that turmoil in me so she came up and whispered in my ear, “Everyone’s perspective is different.” Then she made me walk around the class and notice how everyone’s perspective was different. I’ve carried that experience with me. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve been pushed back. People at university never wanted to share ideas. Ideas grow when they live with others. If they stay in your mind, you only have one perspective.
IBBY NJOYA For me, growing up in art school, we had critiques when you had to stand and present your work to people. You had to really know how to share your ideas. Then people could give you a different perspective on that same idea. Honestly, I feel that conversations are the only way I can work through an idea. There’s a humbleness to be able to share and know that the other person won’t steal them.
CA Even if I did take your ideas, it ain’t going to be the same thing! If I said to you right now, I’m planning to make a 6’4 chair on a backdrop, and when they jump off it, they disappear, and you made it, it would never be the same. Even if I drew it and you tried to do it, it just wouldn’t be the same. I think it’s because we have confidence in our craft, our eye and our hand. We’re very secure. I think the insecure artist is too scared to share because they think that sharing is losing. But sharing is caring.
IN Sharing is the only way to move forward, man, because without it, then what the fuck else? You’re just holding all of these things and not going anywhere with it. You’re not allowing yourself to see other perspectives. You’re not allowing yourself to dream outside of your own fucking box. Sharing means you expand your mind. You allow yourself to expand, you allow yourself to grow, and you allow yourself to explore. Without it, I think you just become stagnant and one-dimensional. You become so close. I think that’s how some people become lost. They become so closed in, so boxed in, that they don’t know who to trust. It’s so sad when that happens because you crush your artistry. You crush this freedom that you have as an artist. To be an artist is to allow yourself to dream. It’s to allow yourself to also get over yourself.
CA When I think about Raphael or Frida Kahlo’s story lines, I wish I could go back and see where they’d go and travel, who they would meet and the conversations they had. Through those conversations and collaboration, when minds meet, you grow, you level up. You never shrink or digress if you share. You only become stagnant, and stagnancy is death. Stillness is death. Movement is life.


RW Have you ever noticed opportunities for collaboration in other people’s work and wondered why they weren’t pursued? What prevented them from taking that step?
IN I’ve never thought about that. Personally, I don’t think that I would see one of my friends’ works and ask why they didn’t collaborate with so and so. There’s a reason why things happen. You never can understand everything fully. I wasn’t there in the room when the idea was happening. I don’t think you have the right to be able to judge the decision-making without knowing the process. We live in a world where it’s easy for people to ask questions and make judgements without having any context.
CA Because they’re asking the wrong question! The first question should always be: How did this come about?
RW It’s easy to judge what you see online without understanding the background or process behind it. As you mentioned, Ibby, there could have been multiple options, and perhaps the chosen outcome was influenced by factors like client preferences. We often don’t know the full extent of the decisions made.
IN I honestly find it so sad. People need to understand that they don’t have all of the information. I have no idea what the situation or the setup of your magazine cover was like. What was the conversation between the photographer and Sampha? I have no idea. I wish people were more curious and less judgemental.
CA There’s nothing wrong with someone coming to me and saying, “I saw this shoot. I’m a bit curious because I’ve seen you do XYZ, but this turned a little bit MNO.” I’ve had conversations like that with people in my DMs. I believe in mutual respect, so I normally don’t respond to online criticism. However, once I replied to someone on Twitter who fabricated a story about a photoshoot I managed. They claimed the women weren’t even on the same set and criticised the appearance of the models in derogatory terms. I simply asked, "Were you there?" The person admitted they weren’t. My response was to tell them to refrain from commenting since they weren’t informed about the situation. Contrary to their assumptions, each model was styled individually by their chosen stylists, with no specific brief from me—I encouraged them to dress however they felt best. This empowerment was overlooked by the critic, who had created an extensive, misleading thread online. I think if people just were more curious, we would have better discussions. If it’s a bad image, tell me why.


RW When I was studying art history we were taught to distinguish between analysis and interpretation. Analysing art requires considering various factors such as context, environment, and personal and familial influences. Only after evaluating these aspects can one form an interpretation. For example, we can’t definitively say that Louise Bourgeois approached her spider sculptures with a feminist perspective.
CA Honestly, I don’t think people are taught to critically analyse. I’ve always been proactive in my learning. When I’m with my assistants and someone expresses dislike for a shoot, I’ll pause everything. Mid-day, I’ll print out the image and we’ll stand around it to discuss. This reminds me of when we were at Central Saint Martins and had to do critiques. I remember once telling one of our tutors, Judith, that I disliked something. She slammed the table and challenged me, "That isn’t good enough. Why don’t you like it? Do you even understand what you dislike?" That was a turning point for me, realising my criticism was maybe rooted in my own insecurities. Similarly, when a team member of mine dislikes a photo’s lighting, I press them, "What about the lighting?" “Why don’t you like it?” It’s about digging deeper to understand our reactions.
RW I don’t think people are always willing to admit that they don’t understand.
CA I feel like a lot of people on Twitter and Instagram aren’t open to understanding things deeper. I’ve seen some of my friends get their work ripped apart online. When people ask what I think, I often say, “I don’t think.” This throws them off, but there’s a reason—I don’t bring personal bias into understanding art. To truly understand my friends’ work, I need to ask the right questions.
Take this one time; comments about wigs came up about my cover for Vogue Spain. A friend didn’t realise I could see her comment criticising the repeated use of Grace Jones-style hair. I snapped back with a middle finger emoji. She was shocked and went on about changing the hairstyle. I told her, “Why not wait and see the bigger picture? The shoot hasn’t been released yet. We did many different hairstyles." She didn’t know the context. I had ten minutes to shoot that cover! I had to make fast decisions. If she had asked me a question, I would have had a huge discussion with her about it. I do agree sometimes certain hairstyles within fashion can be a bit samey. But it’s the way in which we go about that. I think modern pop culture loves someone who is mad. They love someone who can get 200 re-tweets. I’d prefer to do a table discussion. If there is really an issue, let’s talk.
IN Do you think we can do that?
CA I think if we got rid of cancel culture.
RW But it really comes down to how we react and how do we respond? Those two terms are closely linked but mean completely different things. Reacting is immediate, like how people post or comment online without much consideration. Responding, as you’ve mentioned Campbell, involves thoughtfulness and deliberation. Maybe it’s about showing people that they have a chance to converse?
CA I was a very reactive human. Then I realised that I won’t be able to stop my emotions, but I can control my reactions. When I’m in a space where people are being reactive, I think, cool, that’s great, but what are we trying to say? I think people are reactive because they are looking for control. Everyone always talks about the bouncer who is aggressive because that’s the only space they can control. People who feel powerless search for power online. I think if cancel culture shifts away from power, then we could have more discussions. There’s this weird, never-ending cycle of us not actually talking about the issue and moving the conversation forward.
IN We need to create more spaces for it, not only for those that are in the industry but for those that are hoping to get there. We need guidance. Guidance without arrogance, I think. People need to be humble.
RW Do you believe that people often avoid revealing the truth? You’re advocating for open discussions, but it seems we might struggle to have these because people are afraid to be honest. They might fear the repercussions or are overly conscious of the potential consequences. When someone approaches you to work with them or collaborate on a project, what makes you say yes?
CA I want someone to want it more than I do. I want them to be creating for the right reasons. Sometimes people want access to what you have. That bothers me. I like working with people because it makes sense to the idea. There are times when I’ve been on jobs and people are, Oh, let’s get this model. I’m like, why? Then literally, crickets! I’m like, why!? They’re like, they’re the top model. That’s great but it’s not relevant! I never reach out to someone without an idea in mind. It may not be on paper, but the reason why I’m reaching out is because I’ve followed your work. I’ve studied your work and now, I respect you enough to go here.
I get a lot of DMs saying, "Hey, I’m a stylist; we should work together.” But why? Why do they think we should work together? They just think about the idea of working, not actually a working idea. It doesn’t matter if they have done one shoot and I’ve done 400. I respect all creatives on every level. I don’t do the hierarchy thing. You could be a 16-year-old stylist who’s only done shoots in your little hometown. If you call me up and the idea is fab and you think it makes sense to me, I’d say, let’s get it!


IN Honestly, it’s all about the idea. If the idea is fab, why would you run away from it? If the idea is fab, you can sell it to anybody.
CA You might see something in someone that no one else has seen. That person could be major, but they haven’t had an opportunity yet. It’s all about the idea. Our teacher at university told us that ideas make money. He never said people, he never said brands, he never said titles, he never said awards, he said ideas! When someone comes with a FAB idea, why would I say no?
RW Ibby, when you are constructing a set, where do you go to get ideas?
IN It all comes down to conversations. From a design perspective, everything has already been designed. When you take inspiration from something, you start a conversation, whether with one person or a group. You might say, "I saw this. How can we evolve this concept? How can we add our own perspective to it?" Like Campbell pointed out, we could both draw the same picture, and they would end up looking slightly different because each of us would bring something unique to it.
RW What keeps things feeling consistent in your work? Is it the output you produce, the vision you maintain, the ideas you generate, the aesthetic you pursue, or your approach?
IN Consistency is about remembering where you come from. You need to stay grounded in what you believe in.
CA I know how you stay consistent! You love what you do regardless of who’s looking. You can’t be consistent if you are searching for validation. If you look outward, you will burn out. As Tim Walker said, "You don’t want to be a firework. You want to be a slow log on a burner." We all fizzle out. That’s life. That’s what makes it beautiful, because you know there is going to be an end. We have to be present. If you love what you do and stay curious, you’ll be consistent.
I ❤ Campbell will be exclusively shown in Ballarat, regional Victoria, Australia for the 11th Ballarat International Foto Biennale from 23 August to 19 October 2025. Tickets on sale mid-2025.
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