Written by Project Comms member, Caleb L.
From developing black-and-white prints at the Gerry Clubhouse to shooting runway stars and directing his own films, Adomako Aman has always been guided by three powerful forces: curiosity, self-confidence, and ambition.
2001 Gerry Awards Ceremony
From The Boys’ Club
Born in the Upper East Side and raised in East Harlem and the Bronx, Adomako discovered The Boys’ Club at just six years old. Some of his fondest memories included out-of-state trips, piano lessons, and, most of all, learning photography in the darkroom.
One of his earliest mentors at Gerry was Pedro, a part-time photography instructor and full-time police officer. Adomako still remembers a piece of advice Pedro gave him that he carries into every shoot:
“If you look at a photograph, in the eyes of the photograph, and the person’s eyes are blurry, that means it’s a bad photo. You want to make sure that your eyes are clear when you’re looking at the photo. And so, every time I look at a photo, I develop, even if I take it digitally, I’m always looking at the eyes and making sure that they’re clear.”
Tishina and Alba
He also remembers Tishina, a friend of his mother who worked at Gerry during his time there. Adomako’s mother, who was then a nurse, had even helped Tishina during her pregnancy. When Adomako joined The Boys’ Club, it just so happened that Tishina worked there. “She was someone I could always talk to,” he recalls. “She was so nice to me.”
To The Runway
As he grew older, he started to dream of becoming a fashion designer, sketching dresses for women in his notebooks. By the Fall of 2008, Adomako had set his sights on the elusive world of fashion photography. He would wait outside New York Fashion Week venues for hours, hoping to catch even a small glimpse.
One day, after standing outside for nearly four hours, he found out that a classmate had made it inside. With his network, he immediately reached out and asked for a favor, and just like that, he got in. That moment would start what would become a 12-year career in fashion photography, shooting everyone from Leyna Bloom to Tom Ford and Zendaya.
His New Passion
Adomako’s work as a director and filmmaker, however, is where his voice truly shines. After producing the viral documentary Dancing in the Dark, which captured the vibrancy and complexity of NYC’s Black and Latino LGBTQ nightlife, he then produced PEACE — a bold, tender, independent short film that explores masculinity, queerness, and love through a hip-hop lens. In the film, Adomako wore all the hats — writing, directing, acting, and producing. PEACE has won acclaim in multiple film festivals, including Best Drama at the Bridgeport Film Festival, and Aman receiving an invitation to screen at the American Black Film Festival and Seattle Film Festival, according to ENSPIRE Magazine.
Adomako has always known he was same-gender loving — and while he did not always see people like himself reflected in media or spaces around him, he never let that stop him. With his high-pitched voice, expressive energy, and unwavering confidence nurtured by his mother, he embraced his differences and turned them into strength. “Even in spaces where people made me feel different,” he says, “I always rose above it.”
Returning To His Roots
The Boys’ Club of New York wasn’t just where his art began — it was where he first learned what it meant to build community, seek support, and create space for others to belong. As he now works to expand PEACE into a feature film, Adomako hopes to return to the very communities that shaped him, including The Boys’ Club, drawing inspiration from his roots and giving back by telling stories that reflect the beauty, strength, and complexity of those often left on the margins.
Homework Help, 2001