21 Dec GALLEY

Index

Yves Ashton Emanuel Bryce Byron

Dillon Raymond Courtney Sean Dame

Dame Yibo Yibo Shaun Brandon

Derek Yibo Yibo Yibo Alex

Terrance Frank Touré Antonin Antonin

Harper Kelechi Paix Goldie Goldie

Keiynan Roland Kevin Nick Nick

Raymond Dylan Rickey Zach Roland

Kyle Rickey Tyree Joshua Parker

Jerrod Dillon Solomon Joshua Raymond

Kenneth Deon Parker Sean Znere

Dean Taurean Jerrod Kelechi Dexter

Jamille Dean Zach Dom Terrance

Phillip David Kelechi Rickey Parker

Tramayne Raymond Harper Kelechi Sean

Terrance Parker Zelig Joshua Yibo

Alex Lawrence Taurean Byron Erik

Frank Roland Shawn Ernie Kenneth

Brenton Rodnique Jared Rahsaan Max

Luke Kevin Rahsaan Zelig Titus

Titus Yves



Gratitude

I am grateful to Nico Miloš Mestas for taking this book on and making it a beautiful
reality. He put in the love and effort I think the work deserved.

Thank you to Mark Tennyson for introducing this work to Nico at a time when I didn’t
think LÉ. WÀ was going to find a home.

I’m thankful for Khary Septh for always being super smart, well spoken, and always
really honest with me. You always made me feel really good about this work.

Thanks to Savannah Enright, Dilge Kutluo˘glu, and Carlos Valdivia Biedma for being extra
eyes, thoughts, and ideas, when it came to reviewing the book and the many edits that
took place.

Thank you to Kó. là Túbò. sún for your words and ideas.

Special thanks to Nick Locke, Mitch Fong, Tramayne Tirrell, and Neijah Lanae for the
friendships, important conversations, and design advice.

My thanks to the men on these pages. Some of you I met only for an hour, and others
have become good friends, but I am extremely grateful for all of you. For sitting with me,
talking with me, and for feeling comfortable enough to be a part of my work.

Thank you to Frank Ocean, Lorde, and Sza for getting me through the editing hours.

An extra special thanks goes to Kelechi Kalu for inspiring me every day, for teaching me
when you’re tired of teaching, for boosting my confidence, and for the kisses. Love you.

Black Lives Matter.



About

Luke Austin is an Australian photographer based in Los Angeles. His portraiture work
focuses on the energy, beauty, and vulnerability associated with male youth. He began
exhibiting his portraiture work in 2011, following a successful decade working in fashion
photography. He has exhibited work in solo shows in Sydney, Los Angeles, and New
York City. His work has been included in group shows during Month of Photography Los
Angeles and at the Stonewall National Museum in Florida.
Luke has had worked printed and featured online in various fashion/lifestyle magazines:
GQ Italia, PAPER, GayTimes UK, and Wonderland, to name a few.
In 2015, Jason Vass Gallery LA began representing Luke. His first show with the gallery,
“Soft Instant,” took place in March 2016 and received critical acclaim.
Luke’s first monograph Beau Book was published by Antinous Press NYC in 2015.
A comprehensive breadth of his work can be viewed at lukeaustinphoto.com.
His Instagram handle is @lukeaustinphoto.

Miloš Mestas Editions is dedicated to the publishing of innovative and evocative ideas
from artists that challenge the status quo.



Imprint

LÉ. WÀ (beautiful), Luke Austin
1st Edition

© 2018, Miloš Mestas
milosmestas.com
[email protected]

Creative Director: Nicholas Alexander Miloš Mestas
Publication Advisor: Carlos Valdivia Biedma (Madrid)
Creative Consultant: Dilge Kutluog˘lu (Paris)
Advisor: Savannah Enright (New York)
Special thanks to: Mark Tennyson (Los Angeles)

Photography © 2018, Luke Austin
lukeaustinphoto.com

Text (E. wà) © 2017, Kó. lá Túbò. sún
Text (Foreword) © 2017, Khary Septh
Text (Preface) © 2017, Luke Austin
Excerpt © 2009, Chimamanda Ngozi Adiche, used by permission of Wylie Agency, LLC

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval
system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronically or otherwise, without
prior consent of the publisher.

All models were 18 years of age or older when photographed.

Printed in California.

ISBN: 978-0-692-04813-9