About

Onyi Moss is a creative powerhouse known for her unique style in storytelling using visually appealing imagery.

She’s a British Nigerian photographer, filmmaker and singer-songwriter based in Manchester, UK.

Onyi was born on 16 August 1986 in Abuja, Nigeria. Her dad is an accountant and mother was an artist who loved gardening but gave up both to pursue a career in Law. Thankfully, before the latter occurred, Onyi was able to fall in love with art, music and nature. Flowers especially, which much of her work embodies.

Growing up in Nigeria when Onyi did, there wasn’t much room for an artist to thrive as her mother’s lived experience was evidence of. With this in mind, Onyi made the calculated choice to study Accounting. She went to Madonna University where she got a BSc on the subject matter just shy of her 20th birthday. Upon completion of her degree she gained employment in a bank where she worked and saved nearly every penny so she could embark on a new life adventure abroad.

Onyi moved to the UK on her 22nd birthday to pursue a career in finance. She qualified as a chartered accountant (ACCA) but failed to gain relevant employment like she did back home in Nigeria as she was lacking in UK work experience.

While waiting to catch a lucky break, Onyi found herself binge watching reality TV shows to take her mind off being unemployed. This would turn out to be a blessing in disguise as she stumbled upon “Fashion Bloggers” on E!. A show that focused on women who told beautiful stories using imagery. This moment reignited her love for art and set her on a path that would change her life for good. Rather than pay her rent that month, Onyi opted to buy a camera instead and began teaching herself photography by watching YouTube tutorials and putting a lot of what she learnt into practice. Not long after, she gained employment in a bank working in finance.

Onyi continued to harness her passion for photography alongside being in full-time employment. She utilised most of her evenings and weekends practicing and sharing her work online. Soon enough brands began to notice her and were willing to pay her to create content for them. In the Summer of 2017, Onyi quit her role at the bank to focus on being a full-time creative. Onyi has worked with the likes of Gucci, Carolina Herrera, Giorgio Armani, Penhaligon’s London, Viktor & Rolf to name a few. She was a brand ambassador for Pandora UK in 2019 which was also the same year she won the “Cosmopolitan Best Fashion Influencer Award”.

Onyi has since expanded upon her work releasing her debut single “In Your Eyes” in January 2021 with an EP to follow. She also debuted her first film series titled “Black Women Are Soft Too” which focuses on highlighting the softness that exists in black women thereby relaying their humanity.