TheChibyVerse Spotlight: FOLASTAG

From a food photo posted for fun to a Johnnie Walker global campaign, photographer Folastag on what his lens finds on a night hosted by TheChibyVerse.

 

"Through the lens, beyond the lens."

 

Fasanmi Afolabi, better known as Folastag, sees things differently. He is a commercial, food, lifestyle and product photographer, content creator and chef, and he's built his work around one simple idea: there is always another way to see the same thing.

His journey began behind a camera at Babcock in 2013, eventually turning a food photo posted for fun into a career built around seeing things differently.

 

So, who exactly is Folastag?

A commercial, food, lifestyle and product photographer. A content creator. A chef. And, on a Chibyverse night, the man somewhere in the room waiting for the shot nobody noticed they were giving him.

 

What did that viral food photo teach you about the eye?

"That we all see things differently. Where you are, what you're doing and, most importantly, how you choose to see it can completely change what ends up in the frame."

These days, that eye has been pointed at a Johnnie Walker global campaign, the kind of project that still gets named first when asked what he's most proud of.

 

His first Chibyverse night, back in 2022

Folastag's first Chibyverse night landed back in 2022, when it was still South. Hot, packed, and nobody minding either. What actually caught his attention wasn't the crowd size; it was the freedom in the room.

 

"People were dressed as themselves, people were interacting, laughing, dancing, connecting."

 

He calls himself a clean canvas, someone who shows up ready for whatever's in front of the lens.

 

What does The Chibyverse give a photographer that other rooms don't?

Possibilities.

As a photographer, Folastag says The Chibyverse keeps giving him plenty to work with. Clients, potential clients, new ideas, networking. You never really know what or who you're going to encounter.

 

Energetic. Insane. Vibe.

His three words for a Chibyverse night. The kind of night where, by his own admission, the hardest thing to actually capture isn't a face or an outfit; it's the vibe itself.

"Sometimes you're so engaged in the groove that you forget to make memories, and even if you do, it feels like you don't really capture the true feeling."

We asked him to frame the whole thing as one photograph, and the answer comes wide and cinematic: the people, the beautiful women, someone laughing, someone drinking, someone deep in conversation, incredible outfits, a little chaos in the background for good measure.

 

You're also known for making people laugh. Does that change how people behave in front of your camera?

Absolutely.

Fasanmi is also the comic relief on set, and he doesn't separate that from the work.

"I have a philosophy: when it's time to work, we work. When it's time to play, we play. Chibyverse is a mixture of both, but the play comes harder because that's why we're here. Some people want to let loose but need someone to unlock that side of them. I'm that guy."

 

When everyone is busy trying to capture the moment on their phones, what gets lost?

In a world where every phone comes out the second something good happens, what gets lost is authenticity and the originality of the moment.

 

More Than a Party

The Chibyverse calls itself a community before a party. Can you actually see that through your lens?

Behind the lens, community isn't hard to spot once you know what you're looking for.

"A good crowd can fill a room, but community has a different kind of energy. You see people greeting each other like they've known each other for years, checking on each other, creating new connections."

And it doesn't stop at the door. The same people he parties with are the ones putting his name in rooms full of opportunity, the decision-makers, the ones whose engagement actually gets his content seen.

 

What does The Chibyverse have in common with the Folastag brand?

In how Chibyverse has built its own identity, Folastag recognises something he's spent years trying to build for himself.

"I've never seen myself to be just the guy who takes nice pictures. I want people to recognise a feeling when they see my work. I see something similar with Chibyverse."

"You're not just attending an event, you're stepping into a world."

 

The Dream Project

If Folastag and Chibyverse could create anything together, what would it be?

Given the chance to build something with the brand, the dream is already fully formed: a visual documentary called The People of Chibyverse, portraits and short stories from the organisers, the regulars, the first-timers, the venue owners, eventually built into an exhibition where photographs sit alongside people's actual voices.

On a smaller scale, he'd love to see the brand follow a few attendees through the week leading into a Chibyverse night, capturing how the anticipation builds before the release.

 

One Last Frame

Complete the sentence: The Chibyverse is…

"A place filled with good vibes, good people and great energy. I've never heard of a fight happening at Chibyverse. That's rare at events like this."

 

And your message to the Chibyverse community?

"Keep showing up as yourselves. Keep creating. Keep connecting. Keep laughing. Keep supporting each other. And most importantly, don't be afraid to make memories that don't make it to Instagram."

 

And if you see me with my camera at the next Chibyverse…

"I'm probably somewhere looking for that one moment you didn't even realise was happening."