Photographer Nwaka Okparaeke and multidisciplinary artist Elfreda Dali were inspired by spy and conspiracy narratives to create this otherworldly visual story. The young London-based duo have created a world where special operatives go on a mission to uncover the elusive truth.

“I love the idea of spies - from the glamour of their lifestyles in the movies to their ability to adopt different identities and then disappear,” Okparaeke explains. “Conspiracies also fascinate me as I consider the amount of power some people have managed to gain and the level of manipulation that is possible in society. Both of these concepts are full of secrecy, which makes it tempting to understand what exactly is going on behind closed doors.”

Here, their spies go undercover in dazzling diamonds and richly patterned textiles and reveal covert realities behind the masks we all wear. The question is, will you join them or beat them?

One image from this story is available to buy from The Earth Issue’s Freedom Fundraiser with all proceeds going toward Bail Funds George Floyd and the 4Front Project.