Formento & Formento are known for their romantic and stylish photographs that explore themes of love, loss, longing and the burden of memory. Utilising staged scenes and desaturated colours, the eerie sensuality of their style reveals a fascination with fiction and reality and with mood and texture, where a sense of place figures prominently. Whether they are shooting in America, Europe, Cuba, Mexico, India or Japan, they blend fervent passion for photography and film with a lasting love for one another.
Under the name Formento & Formento, Richeille Formento styles and art directs, while BJ Formento lights and photographs. The images are a mutual portrait – an exchange in which the artist’s individualities blur, leaving traces on each other. Together the duo has an enthralling ability to absorb the spirit of a time and place, creating cinematic photographs with a vision that references the past but remains contemporary and highly original.
BJ was born in Hawaii and grew up in the Philippines. After attending the Academy of Arts University of California, he moved to New York, training his eye by working with esteemed photographers such as Richard Avedon, Duane Michals, Mary Ellen Mark and Annie Leibovitz.
London born Richeille graduated with honours from Central St. Martins College of Art before working as an art director and designer.
In 2005, BJ and Richeille met while working together in South Beach, Miami. They admit to love at first sight and were married in New York City three months later.
Their work has been exhibited worldwide and is in permanent collections of International Center of Photography, Moscow Museum of Arts, Currier Museum, Boca Raton Museum, Bruce Museum, Lewben Museum and Musee Des Art Decoratif Paris. They have published “Circumstance: America Down on Bruised Knees” by YK Books (2009) as well as a short film “The Voyage” shown at Cannes Film Festival 2016.
BJ and Richeille live and work in Connecticut.
