J A M E S  K E N D I

I am a photographer and a filmmaker who specializes in representing human connection. My career began in 1999, in New York, NY., when my Bard College thesis of self portraits were used on 12,000 billboards for a French advertising campaign. I photographed for Vice Magazine, J Crew, BIG Magazine, XL Records, Ratatat, Domino Records, Aperture, Pitch Fork, The Cooper Union School of Art, and Samma Jewelry. 

From 2005-2010, I founded the menswear line, Kendi Ties, which was featured in Barney’s New York, The New York Times, GQ, Der Spiegel, etc.. I did all of the photography, creative direction, and  videos for Kendi Ties.

In 2010 I wrote, directed, and produced Crocker, a narrative short film introducing the actress Bobbi Salvör Menuez.  I co-wrote, Mine To Kill, an existential thriller, which was shortlisted for the 2011 Sundance Screenwriters Lab, and stars, Paul Banks, of the band Interpol.

From 2016-2018, I lived in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, and photographed and made films about youth migration and gender—exploring why people believe relocating will improve their lives. I documented cocoa workers and cooperatives for the World Cocoa Foundation and development projects for Technoserve. My screenplay, Alex Abidjan, was shortlisted for the 2018 Sundance Screenwriters Lab.

I am currently based in the Washington, D.C. area.