{"id":805008,"date":"2026-08-06T21:20:26","date_gmt":"2026-08-06T21:20:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/805008\/"},"modified":"2026-08-06T21:20:26","modified_gmt":"2026-08-06T21:20:26","slug":"photographer-romain-mayambi-taps-into-his-roots-while-capturing-athletes-in-unconventional-spaces","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/805008\/","title":{"rendered":"Photographer Romain Mayambi taps into his roots while capturing athletes in unconventional spaces"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"The<\/p>\n

An ongoing series of photo essays by Black photographers that highlight Black excellence in sport.<\/p>\n

Cincinnati-based photographer Romain Mayambi\u2019s<\/a> ongoing series \u201cAthletes in Unconventional Spaces\u201d was inspired by a baseball field.<\/p>\n

\u201cI remember coming across this beautiful baseball field where the dirt looked absolutely perfect, and I thought to myself, \u2018I need to shoot something fun here,\u2019\u201d Mayambi said.<\/p>\n

He decided to photograph jiu-jitsu fighters on the field, thinking it would be a one-off shoot. However, the resulting images became the foundation for Mayambi\u2019s series, which continued with visuals of other sports.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe concept has always been about placing athletes in spaces where you wouldn\u2019t expect to see them while still creating images that feel authentic and connected to both the sport and the location,\u201d he said. \u201cI want people to look at these photographs and pause for a second to see sports in a completely different way.\u201d<\/p>\n

The idea of taking photos of FC Cincinnati<\/a> players in Cincinnati Music Hall, one of the city\u2019s oldest and most iconic buildings, was much more personal, he said. Mayambi, who is originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo, grew up playing soccer.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wanted to create something that honored the sport while finding a location that felt just as beautiful and meaningful. \u2026 I wanted to create something unconventional within such a historic space,\u201d he said. \u201cIt felt like the perfect way to celebrate both the game and a piece of Cincinnati\u2019s history.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mayambi spoke to Andscape about the inspiration behind the soccer images in his photography series, the artistic choices he made while shooting and what he hopes viewers take away from the photographs.<\/p>\n

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.<\/p>\n

Who are these three athletes?<\/p>\n

All three athletes play for FC Cincinnati: Miles Robinson<\/a>, Kenji Mboma Dem<\/a> and Ayoub Jabbari<\/a>. Robinson also earned a spot on the U.S. men\u2019s national team\u2019s World Cup roster<\/a>, which makes having him involved even more special.<\/p>\n

Why this theater?<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve always believed sports are incredibly artistic. Watching athletes perform at the highest level feels like poetry in motion. Music Hall has that same elegance and rhythm, so pairing soccer with that space just made sense to me. I always try to match each sport with a location that complements it in an unexpected way while still feeling natural.<\/p>\n

Why the different ball types?<\/p>\n

Growing up in Africa, we didn\u2019t always have access to a real soccer ball, so we made our own using plastic bags and string. Those homemade balls allowed us to play every day regardless of what we had. I recreated one specifically for this shoot as a tribute to my childhood and my roots. That detail made this project especially meaningful to me.<\/p>\n

What do you want people to take away from this series?<\/p>\n

More than anything, I want people to reconnect with that feeling of childhood, when the world felt vibrant and imagination came naturally. The series is about not letting preconceived notions dictate where you belong. It\u2019s about breaking barriers, embracing curiosity, and placing yourself in spaces where people might say you don\u2019t belong.<\/p>\n

What does it mean to celebrate these exceptional Black athletes in this way?<\/p>\n

It means a lot to me. Throughout the shoot, you could genuinely see the joy on their faces. It wasn\u2019t just another training session; it gave them a chance to play, explore, and reconnect with that childlike sense of wonder. Seeing that genuine excitement made the project even more rewarding.<\/p>\n

\"FCFC Cincinnati forward Ayoub Jabbari juggles a soccer ball beneath a chandelier in Music Hall. \u201cThis image was created to showcase the beauty of Music Hall\u2019s iconic chandelier and ornate ceiling while capturing the elegance and rhythm of soccer in motion,\u201d Mayambi said.<\/p>\n

Romain Mayambi<\/p>\n

\"MilesJabbari (right) and Miles Robinson (left) pass a soccer ball back and forth on the balcony of Music Hall. \u201cI wanted to highlight the architecture while showing the players interacting naturally within such an unexpected environment,\u201d Mayambi said. <\/p>\n

Romain Mayambi<\/p>\n

\"KenjiKenji Mboma Dem performs a rainbow flick with a handmade ball in Music Hall. \u201cThis photograph centers around the handmade ball, which represents an important part of my childhood,\u201d Mayambi said. \u201cGrowing up, we often made soccer balls from plastic bags and string, and including one in this series was my way of honoring those memories.\u201d<\/p>\n

Romain Mayambi<\/p>\n

Photographer Romain Mayambi explains why the above photo is his favorite from the Music Hall shoot.<\/p>\n

\"Miles\u201cOne player [Robinson, right] rests his foot on the ball while the other [Jabbari, left] stands at the edge of the balcony,\u201d Mayambi said. \u201cI think of this image as the calm before the storm, a quiet moment before the action begins.\u201d<\/p>\n

Romain Mayambi<\/p>\n

\"FromFrom left: Kenji Mboma Dem, Miles Robinson and Ayoub Jabbari. \u201cThis is a simple portrait of all three players together, highlighting both the athletes and the symbolic significance of the handmade ball,\u201d Mayambi said.<\/p>\n

Romain Mayambi<\/p>\n

\"MilesRobinson (left) rests his foot on a soccer ball while Mboma Dem dribbles in the background. \u201cThis image plays with perspective, contrasting stillness and movement within the same frame,\u201d Mayambi said. \u201cI wanted to create something visually engaging by allowing the eye to move naturally between both athletes.\u201d<\/p>\n

Romain Mayambi<\/p>\n

\"KenjiMboma Dem (left), Robinson (center) and Jabbari (back) pass a soccer ball around in a triangular formation inside Music Hall. \u201cThis was one of my favorite compositions because of the framing and unusual perspective,\u201d Mayambi said. \u201cIt also continues the theme of using the architecture of Music Hall to emphasize the scale of the space.\u201d<\/p>\n

Romain Mayambi<\/p>\n

\"KenjiKenji Mboma Dem (left), Miles Robinson (center) and Ayoub Jabbari (back) pass a soccer ball around in a triangular formation inside Music Hall. \u201cThis was one of my favorite compositions because of the framing and unusual perspective,\u201d Mayambi said. \u201cIt also continues the theme of using the architecture of Music Hall to emphasize the scale of the space.\u201d<\/p>\n

Romain Mayambi<\/p>\n

\"AyoubJabbari (from left), Mboma Dem and Robinson prepare to control soccer and handmade balls inside Music Hall. \u201cThese images focus on authentic moments you\u2019d see during a match, celebrating the athleticism and artistry of soccer,\u201d Mayambi said. \u201cTo me, it\u2019s art in motion.\u201d<\/p>\n

Romain Mayambi<\/p>\n

\"AyoubJabbari (top left), Mboma Dem (top right) and Robinson (bottom) play with soccer and handmade balls inside Music Hall in Cincinnati. \u201cThese images focus on authentic moments you\u2019d see during a match, celebrating the athleticism and artistry of soccer,\u201d Mayambi said. \u201cTo me, it\u2019s art in motion.\u201d<\/p>\n

Romain Mayambi<\/p>\n

\"KenjiMboma Dem (from left) and Jabbari kick a handmade plastic ball back and forth in Music Hall. \u201cI wanted this sequence to focus on the handmade ball and show that despite its humble construction, it performs much like a traditional soccer ball, a tribute to the creativity and resourcefulness of my childhood,\u201d Mayambi said.<\/p>\n

Romain Mayambi<\/p>\n

\"KenjiMboma Dem juggles a soccer ball in an aisle of the balcony in Music Hall. \u201cThis is another image created to showcase the beauty and scale of Music Hall while capturing the fluid movement of the game within an unexpected setting,\u201d Mayambi said.<\/p>\n

Romain Mayambi<\/p>\n

Romain Mayambi is a Congolese-American photographer based in Cincinnati. His work explores the intersection of fashion, identity and cultural storytelling, using photography as a tool to celebrate presence, belonging and human connection. Born in the Democratic Republic of Congo and raised between cultures, he brings a global perspective to his lens \u2014 one rooted in empathy, curiosity and visual honesty. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"An ongoing series of photo essays by Black photographers that highlight Black excellence in sport. Cincinnati-based photographer Romain…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":805009,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[56],"tags":[228,226,227,229,88],"class_list":["post-805008","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-arts-and-design","tag-arts","tag-arts-and-design","tag-artsanddesign","tag-design","tag-entertainment"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/805008","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=805008"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/805008\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/805009"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=805008"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=805008"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=805008"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}