(left)
Leslie Kee
Photographer
Born in Singapore, graduated from Tokyo School of Visual Arts. Leslie Kee is one of the most internationally renowned fashion, art, advertisement and celebrity photographer. Based in Tokyo and travels frequently to work in New York, Paris and other Asia regions. He is also an artistic film director for short films and music videos.
Leslie was awarded the 40th Japan Advertising Photographer’s Association – Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry Minister’s Award for his Great Eastern Japan Earthquake charity photo book「LOVE & HOPE」published in 2011.
He has self-published more than 100 titles of 「SUPER」magazine series, which he has collaborated with big names such as Lady Gaga, Yohji Yamamoto, Ayumi Hamasaki, Yoshiki, Rent Musical, DSqaured, Armani Exchange, Gap, Adidas, Uniqlo, Lacoste etc.
His LGBT project「OUT IN JAPAN」which he spent 5 years photographing over 3000 portraits of LGBT people in Japan, Taiwan and Singapore, was selected as Recommended Works by Jury of the 19th Japan Cultural Affairs Media Arts Festival Entertainment Division.
Leslie is also a pioneer enthusiastic promoter of the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals), collaborating with the United Nations and directed the first official music video「Boogie Woogie Love Train」 for SDGs Japan.
In 2016, Leslie has been assigned by NHK as the official photographer and film director for a four year project titled 「2020 PORTRAIT MESSAGES by LESLIE KEE」 to support Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
(right)
Joshua Vincent Ogg
English Teacher / Model
Born in 1988, Ohio, USA. Married to photographer Leslie Kee. In December 2017, when Joshua was interning as an English teacher at Okayama University of Science, he met Leslie in the 「OUT IN JAPAN」project in Hiroshima. After returning to the United States to complete his bachelor’s degree at Wright State University, Leslie flew to Ohio to propose to him in May 2019. They are the first gay couple to hold a marriage equality wedding party at the Tokyo America Club on 22 November 2020, Good Couple Day. While working as an English teacher, he is also active as an art and fashion model. Joshua and Leslie together as a couple are essential role models and popular public figures on TV and social media in supporting marriage equality and spreading the importance of diversity, especially in Japan and Asia.
