Quintavius Oliver

Lives and works in Atlanta, GA, USA

Artist statement

"Living(Rooms)" is an intimate exploration of our most sacred spaces; the places we call "Home". Growing up, I had no real examples of what home should look like- I never knew my biological family, had family dinners, played catch in the yard, or saw parents hug each other except for on cable TV sitcoms. During my early twenties, I was blessed with a daughter of my own and began raising her as a full-time single father with no support system. I was determined to give her a more solid foundation than I had but first, I needed to find examples of what a home actually looked and felt like. I decided to lean on friends, models I'd worked with in the past as a fashion photographer, and even complete strangers who all allowed me to document the quiet poetry that is their life at home. With each roll of film I developed, I came closer to an understanding of not only what a safe space could look like, but also the relationships we could build inside of those spaces. The balance between cozy tungsten lights and the cool evening glow through windows created an atmosphere in these spaces that, despite my being red-green colorblind, felt familiar and inviting. These portraits are more than just pretty pictures. They’re about the small, human details: the light that falls across a breakfast table, the half-folded laundry, or the way someone sits when they think no one’s watching. While many would judge others by their outward appearance in the world, this candid look inside of people’s...

Artwork