I met Wesson on October 6th 2016 on Dundas and Yonge in Toronto.
A very well dressed man standing out from the rush-hour crowd.
I walked to him and asked: "Do you know Iceberg Slim?"
"No I don't, who is he?" - he replied with a thick accent.
"He was a very iconic American pimp from the 1930-40's who became a successful writer".
These were the first words that we exchanged. Although I knew that he was not an actual pimp, my brain made that connexion because of the way he looked.
These were the first words that we exchanged. Although I knew that he was not an actual pimp, my brain made that connexion because of the way he looked.
I showed him my previous photo series, The Guardians, and told him that I believed that everything happens for a reason and that this encounter wasn't just a random one.
I then followed him home and started documenting his story.
"My Name is Wesson Dagnew" is a story about being who you are and doing what makes you happy. It's the story of a man that people judge because of the way he looks. A man with a double identity and a heart bigger than the average.
Wesson, 61, originally from Ethiopia, is a man of habit. He has the same routine everyday. He leaves work around 5:45PM after putting on one of his 24 custom suits. He stands on Yonge and Dundas from 6 to 7PM sipping on his Diet Coke with a straw. At 7PM he walks back home, switches from Tony to Wesson, listens to some music or watches a documentary before going to bed. When winter comes, Wesson doesn't dress up as Tony. Stay tuned to know what he does with his free time...
This is a work in progress so expect more pictures to come in the next weeks.
All pictures are the exclusive property of Vladimir Antaki.
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Instagram: @mynameiswessondagnew
Website: http://mynameiswessondagnew.tilda.ws
Email: hello@vladimirantaki.com
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TO BE CONTINUED...