Exhibiting Photographers
Browse exhibiting photographers from the world collection.
Exhibiting Photographers
Browse exhibiting photographers from africa
MIDDLE EAST
Aljohara Jeje
Saudi Arabia
Aljohara Jeje
Saudi Arabia
“What is art without a message? As long as I can remember I have been a woman and artist. Enraptured by techniques, I graduated in Product Design (The Netherlands), after, Art-Photography (Belgium) and later in life I took courses in mediaeval painting techniques (in China and in Portugal). I was born in The Netherlands, lived in various countries around the world and in October 2017, after sending the youngest of three sons off to university, I came for the first time to Saudi Arabia, visiting my husband who was already working in Riyadh for five years. Venturing out I met many fascinating Saudi women: smart, educated, curious, opinionated though open-minded, and with clear goals in life. At the end of my short stay I decided I wanted to stay.
After formalities, I came back and started to work energetically on my art. I am so lucky as to witness the rapid positive developments that are taking place under the aegis of this government. Consequently, enjoying this vibrant society so much and convinced that The Kingdom has all the elements to become the next artist's hub on par with Berlin and the like, I decided half a year ago to close my house in Europe for good and settle here...as long as The Kingdom is willing to have me, of course. “
Aljohara Jeje is a photographer and visual artist who studied in Belgium, she uses her photographic practice as a means to express her global concerns.
/pəˈfɔːm(ə)ns/: a silent story told, a statement, a performance.
To lessen misunderstandings in this sensitive subject, one should invoke the book of words, for beyond their denotative quality, words have connotative powers. The Process: Performance (Oxford Dictionary Online): 1. “An act of presenting a play, concert, or other form of entertainment”, performances are with physical movements but also with spoken words, sounds, noise, this in stark contrast with the contemplative silence of a photograph. Interesting to visualise this tension. Silenced: In general, we women are educated, we learn not to speak our minds ODO 2.1 “A task or operation seen in terms of how successfully it is performed”, if we do speak our minds however, it is often classified as ODO 1.2 “A display of exaggerated behaviour or a process involving a great deal of unnecessary time and effort; a fuss.” Silenced twice: For people with vaginas, orgasms commonly come from the clitoris. Female Genital Mutilation: the most severe — infibulation — is the removal of the clitoris and parts of the external genitalia followed by stitching together of what remains. Words are like pearls, rolling formed, developed and cultivated over time, treasured, colourful, shiny, lustrous pearls of wisdom. Pearls, as pure and innocent as they symbolise the clitoris, have an imaginary value. The value of a word, of a clitoris. is what we designate for it. Title: /pəˈfɔːm(ə)ns/, which is the English pronunciation of the word 'performance' put in writing, is as intelligible when silence(d). ODO 2.4 “An individual's use of a language, i.e. what a speaker actually says, including hesitations, false starts, and errors. Often contrasted with competence”. The women of this series are, as women around the world, silenced twice. Triptychs, the centre locked in between two worlds, one mirroring the other; Series /pəˈfɔːm(ə)ns/: a silent story told, a statement, a performance.
/pəˈfɔːm(ə)ns/: a silent story told, a statement, a performance.
To lessen misunderstandings in this sensitive subject, one should invoke the book of words, for beyond their denotative quality, words have connotative powers. The Process: Performance (Oxford Dictionary Online): 1. “An act of presenting a play, concert, or other form of entertainment”, performances are with physical movements but also with spoken words, sounds, noise, this in stark contrast with the contemplative silence of a photograph. Interesting to visualise this tension. Silenced: In general, we women are educated, we learn not to speak our minds ODO 2.1 “A task or operation seen in terms of how successfully it is performed”, if we do speak our minds however, it is often classified as ODO 1.2 “A display of exaggerated behaviour or a process involving a great deal of unnecessary time and effort; a fuss.” Silenced twice: For people with vaginas, orgasms commonly come from the clitoris. Female Genital Mutilation: the most severe — infibulation — is the removal of the clitoris and parts of the external genitalia followed by stitching together of what remains. Words are like pearls, rolling formed, developed and cultivated over time, treasured, colourful, shiny, lustrous pearls of wisdom. Pearls, as pure and innocent as they symbolise the clitoris, have an imaginary value. The value of a word, of a clitoris. is what we designate for it. Title: /pəˈfɔːm(ə)ns/, which is the English pronunciation of the word 'performance' put in writing, is as intelligible when silence(d). ODO 2.4 “An individual's use of a language, i.e. what a speaker actually says, including hesitations, false starts, and errors. Often contrasted with competence”. The women of this series are, as women around the world, silenced twice. Triptychs, the centre locked in between two worlds, one mirroring the other; Series /pəˈfɔːm(ə)ns/: a silent story told, a statement, a performance.
Hashem Shakeri
Iran
Hashem Shakeri
Iran
Hashem Shakeri is a self-taught artist, photographer and filmmaker who lives in Tehran, and has been working as a professional photographer since 2010.
He is currently working on several long-term personal projects, as well commissions for prominent international media houses.
He has received many awards and exhibited internationally at Rencontres d’Arles, Paris Photo Fair, and Visa pour l’image among others. His works have also been featured in numerous publications globally, including The New Yorker, Sunday Times, British Journal of Photography, New York Times, Aperture, Reporters Without Borders, Der Spiegel, Le Monde, National Geographic among others.
An Elegy for the Death of Hamun
As the largest province of Iran, Sistan and Baluchestan is located in the southeast of the country and it shares borders with Afghanistan and Pakistan. Once a forest in the distant past and with a history of over 5000 years, it used to be a great source of crops in the country, now the province is facing rapid climate change, which has turned this vast region into an infertile desert. Drought, unemployment and hopelessness have made over one fourth of the population migrate in recent years. Sistan and Baluchestan is now doomed to vanish. Lake Hamun is connected to the Helmand/Hirmand River which stems from Afghanistan. The Afghanistan government has built extensive dams in the Upstream Helmand, preventing the water from reaching Iran. Any fluctuation in the water level causes problems for the whole system. Today, however, there is nothing left of the Lake except for a cracked barren land. In the past, the reeds in Lake Hamun were the main source for feeding the livestock but were also used in making traditional boats called Totens. Also, people made their living by fishing, farming and animal husbandry and their lives were dependent on Lake Hamun. With Hamun dying, the great diversity in wildlife and vegetation has virtually vanished. The province has been suffering from drought, famine, unemployment and depopulation for years now. Sistan is now the land of forgotten people, it is the land of people whose voices have not been heard so much, so they have become silent. In the recent past, they used to be the masters of Lake Hamun and they could freely go fishing on boats but now their boats are mostly broken, capsized and empty. All these have led to the depopulation of the province. People move either to the south (the free Cha’bahar harbour) or to Golestan province, in the northeast of Iran to live on farms; but there is no paradise waiting for them. Even after two decades, the differences between the Balouch and Golestani people are still considerably high.
An Elegy for the Death of Hamun
As the largest province of Iran, Sistan and Baluchestan is located in the southeast of the country and it shares borders with Afghanistan and Pakistan. Once a forest in the distant past and with a history of over 5000 years, it used to be a great source of crops in the country, now the province is facing rapid climate change, which has turned this vast region into an infertile desert. Drought, unemployment and hopelessness have made over one fourth of the population migrate in recent years. Sistan and Baluchestan is now doomed to vanish. Lake Hamun is connected to the Helmand/Hirmand River which stems from Afghanistan. The Afghanistan government has built extensive dams in the Upstream Helmand, preventing the water from reaching Iran. Any fluctuation in the water level causes problems for the whole system. Today, however, there is nothing left of the Lake except for a cracked barren land. In the past, the reeds in Lake Hamun were the main source for feeding the livestock but were also used in making traditional boats called Totens. Also, people made their living by fishing, farming and animal husbandry and their lives were dependent on Lake Hamun. With Hamun dying, the great diversity in wildlife and vegetation has virtually vanished. The province has been suffering from drought, famine, unemployment and depopulation for years now. Sistan is now the land of forgotten people, it is the land of people whose voices have not been heard so much, so they have become silent. In the recent past, they used to be the masters of Lake Hamun and they could freely go fishing on boats but now their boats are mostly broken, capsized and empty. All these have led to the depopulation of the province. People move either to the south (the free Cha’bahar harbour) or to Golestan province, in the northeast of Iran to live on farms; but there is no paradise waiting for them. Even after two decades, the differences between the Balouch and Golestani people are still considerably high.
Huda Abdulmughni
Kuwait
Huda Abdulmughni
Kuwait
Huda Abdulmughni is a Kuwaiti photographer whose work is focused on portraiture and place. Starting from her time as an interior design student in Amman in the 1980’s, Abdulmughni’s photographic practice is inspired by her curiosity for the world around her and by people’s own stories. She sets her subjects in their own unaltered environments, making use of natural light and familiar objects. More recently, her practice has expanded to include archived material, letters, audio interviews, old photographs, and fragments of history that tell a more complete story. She has taken workshops with Tanya Habjouqa and Yori Kozyrev (NOOR Images) as well as Jodie Bieber.
Abdulmughni’s photographs have been exhibited at Shaheed Park (Kuwait. 2017), Tbilisi Photo Festival, (Georgia. 2017, 2019), The Sharjah Art Foundation (U.A.E. 2019), Addis Foto Fest (Ethiopia. 2020), FIF - International Festival of Photography (Brazil. 2021), Sultan Gallery (Kuwait. 2021), Analog Open Call GPP (U.A.E. 2021).
Abdulmughni was invited to participate as a speaker at the GPP Slidefest in Bahrain (2019), Saudi Arabia (2019), United Arab Emirates (2020), where she won an award for her presentation on the photographic series Collective wedding in Yemen.
Nowruz Sayadeen
During the searing summer heat in Qeshm Island in the Persian Gulf, the village of Salakh is overcome by the celebrations of the annual Nowruz Sayadeen (the Fisherman’s New Year). On this day, all fishing – a symbol of the village’s livelihood – comes to a standstill out of respect to nature’s bounty. In the midst of the celebrations an array of characters’ push through the crowd, teasing and frightening anyone in their path. The only make-believe character, the Shushi, toys with the crowd the most. With palm leaves brandished on each of his hands, and the long woven reed hat on his head, the Shushi in his dance is never lost in the crowd. The other characters scattered on the sand include; the shtoor (camel), the asb (horse), a rooba (bird), and the booye saroom (pastor’s son).
Nowruz Sayadeen
During the searing summer heat in Qeshm Island in the Persian Gulf, the village of Salakh is overcome by the celebrations of the annual Nowruz Sayadeen (the Fisherman’s New Year). On this day, all fishing – a symbol of the village’s livelihood – comes to a standstill out of respect to nature’s bounty. In the midst of the celebrations an array of characters’ push through the crowd, teasing and frightening anyone in their path. The only make-believe character, the Shushi, toys with the crowd the most. With palm leaves brandished on each of his hands, and the long woven reed hat on his head, the Shushi in his dance is never lost in the crowd. The other characters scattered on the sand include; the shtoor (camel), the asb (horse), a rooba (bird), and the booye saroom (pastor’s son).
Shaghayegh Moradian Nezhad
Iran
Shaghayegh Moradian Nezhad (1979) is an Iranian documentary photographer and a graduate from the Danish School of Media and Journalism.
Her practice is centred on the narration of the stories of women who carry the heavy and severe burden of war on their shoulders. She attempts to record long-term effects of war on women and children. This effort began in Iran and Afghanistan and she intends to extend her efforts in other areas of the world.
Moradiannejad has published several books including far and near in English, Arabic , Persian (2017), my comrade (2017), and 1=8 which was the first book in world which covers the issue of organ donation
Her work has been showcased in solo exhibitions such as Milano Photo Week (Milan, 2017), Harvest (Tehran, 2016) and Azure geography (Kabul, 2015). She was featured in group exhibitions globally, for her work entitled Tehran is my city (2016,2017), Eye I don`t close (2015); Out of frame (2015) and Hidden Area (2014).
Roulah
Woman
Fire
Death
The lives of many women who have been buried in the cemetery of Ilam can be summarised in these three words. Mostly short lives and full of similar pains and sorrow leading into a common and sad ending. she gives in faith… helplessly… her dead heart devours the flames… hopeless to be heard, sure not to survive. There are no exact statistics about the amount of self-immolation as a result of religious and political issues, the families declare the reason of their family member’s death is unknown or in an accident. But based on unofficial reports, Iran has the highest rank of self-immolation in the Middle East. The main concept of this story is the burden of loss, a tangible vacancy that exists and which most try to hide. A deep scar on the body of the society that should be treated. This loss can be summarised in photos and mementos for the families of the victims. The survivors will carry the story of this loss on their skin forever.
Roulah
Woman
Fire
Death
The lives of many women who have been buried in the cemetery of Ilam can be summarised in these three words. Mostly short lives and full of similar pains and sorrow leading into a common and sad ending. she gives in faith… helplessly… her dead heart devours the flames… hopeless to be heard, sure not to survive. There are no exact statistics about the amount of self-immolation as a result of religious and political issues, the families declare the reason of their family member’s death is unknown or in an accident. But based on unofficial reports, Iran has the highest rank of self-immolation in the Middle East. The main concept of this story is the burden of loss, a tangible vacancy that exists and which most try to hide. A deep scar on the body of the society that should be treated. This loss can be summarised in photos and mementos for the families of the victims. The survivors will carry the story of this loss on their skin forever.
Shaima Al-Tamimi n
Yemen
Shaima Al-Tamimi n
Yemen
Shaima Al-Tamimi is a Yemeni/East African, photographer and visual storyteller based in Qatar, her work is inspired by social and cultural issues reflective of her own personal story. She explores themes relating to patterns and impacts of migration, identity, and trans-generational healing.
She was a Photography & Social Justice Fellow at the Magnum Foundation (2020), where she developed her award winning film Don’t Get Too Comfortable, which was nominated for the Orizzonti Award for Best Short film at Venice Film Festival (La Biennale) and won the Bronze Tanit Award at Carthage Film Festival (2021).
The film is an expansion of her long term project As if we never came, supported by the Arab Documentary Photography program through AFAC. Her works have additionally been endorsed by Women Photograph, the Prince Claus Fund, Tasweer, among others.
In addition to her artistic endeavours, Al Tamimi works in development programmes for YWT, a Yemeni organisation that offers funding and mentorship to creative Yemeni talents within and outside of Yemen.
As if We Never Came
I am a child of ancestral migration, mixture, and assimilation. My mother is a third generation Kenyan with Yemeni roots, and my father also of Yemeni origin. He emigrated three times before finally settling in the United Arab Emirates. The people of Yemen are known for their travels and immigration over many centuries. From our soil of origin we have scattered, planting roots in foreign lands, adorned with traces of where we once came from. As a child growing up in the Gulf, I had little awareness regarding the origins of my Afro-Yemeni mix and identity. It was not until much later, after researching and meeting people of Yemeni descent like myself, including Indian-Yemenis, Indo-Yemenis, and British Yemenis that I discovered an entire subculture connecting us across countries and borders. Our journeys are linked by the languages we speak, the fabrics we wear, and the flavours of our cuisine - vibrant and rich, despite a succession of colonisation, wars, and constant migration. As if we never came is a long-term visual project inspired by my family's journey and my personal struggle to understand the complexity of who we are today as Yemeni diaspora. In the face of the near absence of a recorded narrative about our history, I’ve felt the personal need to retrace my own family's journey as a step towards honouring the journey of all Yemeni diaspora communities, encouraging others like myself to own our identity and take back the voice I feel we have lost as bystanders in transit.
As if We Never Came
I am a child of ancestral migration, mixture, and assimilation. My mother is a third generation Kenyan with Yemeni roots, and my father also of Yemeni origin. He emigrated three times before finally settling in the United Arab Emirates. The people of Yemen are known for their travels and immigration over many centuries. From our soil of origin we have scattered, planting roots in foreign lands, adorned with traces of where we once came from. As a child growing up in the Gulf, I had little awareness regarding the origins of my Afro-Yemeni mix and identity. It was not until much later, after researching and meeting people of Yemeni descent like myself, including Indian-Yemenis, Indo-Yemenis, and British Yemenis that I discovered an entire subculture connecting us across countries and borders. Our journeys are linked by the languages we speak, the fabrics we wear, and the flavours of our cuisine - vibrant and rich, despite a succession of colonisation, wars, and constant migration. As if we never came is a long-term visual project inspired by my family's journey and my personal struggle to understand the complexity of who we are today as Yemeni diaspora. In the face of the near absence of a recorded narrative about our history, I’ve felt the personal need to retrace my own family's journey as a step towards honouring the journey of all Yemeni diaspora communities, encouraging others like myself to own our identity and take back the voice I feel we have lost as bystanders in transit.
NORTH AMERICA
André Chung
USA
André Chung
USA
André Chung is an award-winning photojournalist and portrait photographer, he creates dynamic, decisive portraits that grab the viewer's attention and challenge the viewer to look deeper.
Years of shooting for top editorial publications has provided André the opportunity to hone his ability to get to the heart of a company’s message. His talent for visually telling a story through the use of evocative photographs, has been recognized by both peers and clients.
André was the recipient of the 2021 Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award for Domestic Photography and was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize five times while occupying the position of staff photographer at The Baltimore Sun. In addition, he has also received the George Polk Award, and the Sigma Delta Chi award. He was twice named the Times Mirror Journalist of the Year.
Whether shooting a celebrity portrait for an ad campaign or a library of photos for a corporation or foundation, André brings a strong sense of composition, a love of light and a keen ability to create dynamic imagery to each of his assignments.
André states, “It’s all about the people for me. I don’t want any barriers between me and my subjects. I want to connect with them in the most authentic way possible.”
André is based in the Baltimore/Washington DC metropolitan area, and is available for projects anywhere in the world.
Circuba
Cuba’s commitment to the arts dates back to the early days of the Revolution. The government established a series of national art schools to promote excellence, showcase the best of Cuban talent, and give everyone an opportunity to excel. The National Circus School is among the prestigious national Cuban arts schools but is not as well known as the ballet or music schools. From Circuba (the national circus), to Tropicana (the celebrated cabaret established in 1939), to neighborhood circuses that perform on weekends at the local park, Cubans from all walks of life enjoy and participate in the circus arts. Cuban clowns, acrobats and other performers are consistently performing in the best circuses and successfully competing in the top circus festivals and competitions worldwide. The national circus school is the traditional path to performing at Circuba. However, in the last several years, a younger generation of artists and instructors has opened up training to students who don’t have access to the top school but are still passionate and interested in learning and performing. All In Cuba is a project led by Marco Antonio Aquilera for Circuba. Working from an old cinema that is currently under renovation in a part of Havana rarely seen by tourists, Aquilera is training young people from distressed neighborhoods alongside professional, classically trained performers. In providing this outlet, he has already encouraged some young performers to return to school and others to finish. They learn valuable skills that they can display once a month at the Big Tent in Playa, Havana, where Circuba performs on the weekends. Aguilera’s campaign for a new approach is almost heretical in a society where decisions are made from the top down and leaders are resistant to change. This recognition of talent and the opportunity to shine outside of the proscribed routes is a new thing in a country that was until recently ruled by the same people for over 50 years, and is another signal that things are changing rapidly on the island.
Circuba
Cuba’s commitment to the arts dates back to the early days of the Revolution. The government established a series of national art schools to promote excellence, showcase the best of Cuban talent, and give everyone an opportunity to excel. The National Circus School is among the prestigious national Cuban arts schools but is not as well known as the ballet or music schools. From Circuba (the national circus), to Tropicana (the celebrated cabaret established in 1939), to neighborhood circuses that perform on weekends at the local park, Cubans from all walks of life enjoy and participate in the circus arts. Cuban clowns, acrobats and other performers are consistently performing in the best circuses and successfully competing in the top circus festivals and competitions worldwide. The national circus school is the traditional path to performing at Circuba. However, in the last several years, a younger generation of artists and instructors has opened up training to students who don’t have access to the top school but are still passionate and interested in learning and performing. All In Cuba is a project led by Marco Antonio Aquilera for Circuba. Working from an old cinema that is currently under renovation in a part of Havana rarely seen by tourists, Aquilera is training young people from distressed neighborhoods alongside professional, classically trained performers. In providing this outlet, he has already encouraged some young performers to return to school and others to finish. They learn valuable skills that they can display once a month at the Big Tent in Playa, Havana, where Circuba performs on the weekends. Aguilera’s campaign for a new approach is almost heretical in a society where decisions are made from the top down and leaders are resistant to change. This recognition of talent and the opportunity to shine outside of the proscribed routes is a new thing in a country that was until recently ruled by the same people for over 50 years, and is another signal that things are changing rapidly on the island.
Christopher Sims
USA
Christopher Sims
USA
Christopher Sims was born in Michigan and raised in Atlanta, U.S.A. He has an undergraduate degree in history from Duke University, a master’s degree in visual communication from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and an M.F.A. in studio art from the Maryland Institute College of Art.
He worked as a photo archivist at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C., and in communications for a number of non-profit organizations. He currently is the Undergraduate Education Director at the Centre for Documentary Studies and an Associate Professor of Practice at the Sanford School of Public Policy, both at Duke University. At Duke, he also teaches in the Duke-in-Berlin summer program and in the MFA in Experimental and Documentary Arts graduate program.
His recent exhibitions include shows at SF Camerawork, Cambridge University, the Zagreb Museum of Contemporary Art, and the North Carolina Museum of Art. His project on Guantanamo Bay was featured in The Washington Post, the BBC World Service, Roll Call, and Flavorwire. He was selected as the recipient of the Baum Award for Emerging American Photographers in 2010, chosen as one of the "new Superstars of Southern Art" by the Oxford American magazine in 2012, awarded the Arte Laguna Prize in Photographic Art in 2015, and named an Archie Green Fellow at the U.S. Library of Congress in 2017.
The Pretend Villages
The Pretend Villages documents the inhabitants and structures of imagined, fabricated Iraqi and Afghan villages on the training grounds of U.S. military bases. Situated in the deep forests of North Carolina and Louisiana and in a great expanse of desert near Death Valley in California, these villages serve as strange and poignant way stations for soldiers headed off to war, and for those who have fled from it: American troops encounter actors, often recent immigrants from Iraq and Afghanistan, who are paid to be “cultural role players”. Christopher Sims photographed in these surprising and fantastical realms over a fifteen-year period as U.S. wars abroad fluctuated in intensity. With this book, he presents an archival record of “enemy” village life that is as convincingly accurate and comically misdirected as it is mundane and nightmarish.
The Pretend Villages
The Pretend Villages documents the inhabitants and structures of imagined, fabricated Iraqi and Afghan villages on the training grounds of U.S. military bases. Situated in the deep forests of North Carolina and Louisiana and in a great expanse of desert near Death Valley in California, these villages serve as strange and poignant way stations for soldiers headed off to war, and for those who have fled from it: American troops encounter actors, often recent immigrants from Iraq and Afghanistan, who are paid to be “cultural role players”. Christopher Sims photographed in these surprising and fantastical realms over a fifteen-year period as U.S. wars abroad fluctuated in intensity. With this book, he presents an archival record of “enemy” village life that is as convincingly accurate and comically misdirected as it is mundane and nightmarish.
Jon Caputo
USA
Jon Caputo
USA
Jon Caputo has a background in Anthropology, Sociology, and has been active as a photographer for 25 years. He enjoys the creative process and the history of the photographic medium, stating that he has always had an interest in culture and people, and the diversity of places and ideas.
"Beverly Hills Documentary Arts Project"
Beverly Hills Documentary Arts Project began in 2014 and consists of around 40,000 images and 125 fine art prints examining contemporary culture on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills. With Caputo’s Sociology and Anthropology background, the focus of the project tends to be towards the contemporary culture and diversity of the space. The documentary project takes a humanistic stance towards Rodeo Drive and the participants, and is largely influenced by Bruce Davidson's East 100th Street and Christer Stromholm's Les Amies De Place Blanche. The idea and intent of the Beverly Hills Documentary Arts Project was to look closely at a well known street that is associated with high end shopping and exclusiveness. The area is vibrant and democratic, full of diversity and opportunity to photograph not only local residents and tourists from America, but also people from all around the world. There is a theme that consumerism, commerce and globalisation along with a material pilgrimage brings people from all nations, identities, religions and incomes together and unifies them on this particular street.
"Beverly Hills Documentary Arts Project"
Beverly Hills Documentary Arts Project began in 2014 and consists of around 40,000 images and 125 fine art prints examining contemporary culture on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills. With Caputo’s Sociology and Anthropology background, the focus of the project tends to be towards the contemporary culture and diversity of the space. The documentary project takes a humanistic stance towards Rodeo Drive and the participants, and is largely influenced by Bruce Davidson's East 100th Street and Christer Stromholm's Les Amies De Place Blanche. The idea and intent of the Beverly Hills Documentary Arts Project was to look closely at a well known street that is associated with high end shopping and exclusiveness. The area is vibrant and democratic, full of diversity and opportunity to photograph not only local residents and tourists from America, but also people from all around the world. There is a theme that consumerism, commerce and globalisation along with a material pilgrimage brings people from all nations, identities, religions and incomes together and unifies them on this particular street.
Lincoln Miller
USA
Lincoln Miller
USA
Lincoln Miller is a husband, father, photographer, artist, teacher and independent business owner living and working in Portland, Oregon. He was orphaned in South Korea, and was adopted by an American family , where he grew up in the town of Des Moines, Iowa (U.S.A).
Miller earned his BA degree from Drake University, and currently owns a fine art photo printing studio and gallery, he has taught photography courses and workshops at several institutions and educational colleges. His artistic inspiration is driven by exploring the complexities of identity issues resulting from his upbringing as a Korean adoptee in the USA. Miller has received awards for his photography and currently exhibits his works locally and nationally.
Undocumented Credentials
“I had never considered myself as the primary subject in an image. But then I started thinking why not? A terrifying thought, because I have spent my life dealing with feelings of alienation and trying to fit into my skin. I've coped with this by attempting to become invisible, hopeless for the apparent but superficial reason of my physical appearance. This show is about the irony of feeling different yet wanting to fit in and is a reflection on how our external environment helps define who we are.”
Undocumented Credentials
“I had never considered myself as the primary subject in an image. But then I started thinking why not? A terrifying thought, because I have spent my life dealing with feelings of alienation and trying to fit into my skin. I've coped with this by attempting to become invisible, hopeless for the apparent but superficial reason of my physical appearance. This show is about the irony of feeling different yet wanting to fit in and is a reflection on how our external environment helps define who we are.”
Rory Doyle
USA
Rory Doyle
USA
Rory Doyle is a photographer based in Cleveland, a rural area of the Mississippi Delta. Born and raised in Maine, Doyle studied journalism at St. Michael’s College in Colchester, Vermont. Ten years ago, Doyle moved to Mississippi to pursue a master’s in education at Delta State University and quickly fell in love with a unique region that has a deep artistic and musical history.
With a background in print journalism, Doyle's career as a photographer began to take shape upon moving to Mississippi. The nearby Mississippi River, the farming landscape, and unique Delta characteristics became an inspiration for him to develop as a photographer. Doyle credits this move as the spark that shifted his storytelling method from writing to photography. He has remained committed to photographing the Delta, with a particular focus on sharing stories of overlooked subcultures.
Doyle was a 2018 Mississippi Visual Artist Fellow through the Mississippi Arts Commission and National Endowment for the Arts for his ongoing project about African American cowboys and cowgirls, Delta Hill Riders, and was awarded the 16th Annual Smithsonian Photo Contest in 2019, 2019 Southern Prize from the South Arts organisation, 2019 Zeiss Photography Award, 2020 Silver Eye Fellowship, and the 2019 Michael P. Smith Award for Documentary Photography from the New Orleans Photo Alliance.
Doyle has had solo exhibitions in New York City, London, Atlanta and Mississippi, and his work has been published in The New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic, The Guardian and CNN.
Delta Hill Riders
A recent article in Smithsonian estimated that just after the Civil War, one in four cowboys were African American. Yet this population was - and still is - drastically underrepresented in popular accounts. The “cowboy” identity retains a strong presence in many contemporary black communities. This ongoing documentary project in the rural Mississippi Delta sheds light on an overlooked black subculture — one that resists both historical and modern stereotypes. The project began in January 2017 when Doyle attended a black heritage rodeo in Greenville, Mississippi. The body of work reveals how deep and diverse this community is. “I’ve been invited to black heritage rodeos, horse shows, trail rides, “Cowboy Night” at black nightclubs, and subjects’ homes across the Delta” says Doyle. “On a personal level, I've been welcomed by these folks in a way I could not have imagined, because of that, it’s been the most engaging project I've worked on” adds Doyle. It’s a story that's particularly timely with the current political environment, and one that provides a renewed focus on rural America. Delta Hill Riders is a counter-narrative to the often negative portrayal of African Americans. Instead,Doyle has captured a group of riders showing love for their horses and fellow cowboys, while also passing down traditions and historical perspectives among generations. “Ultimately, the project aims to press against my own old archetypes — who could and could not be a cowboy, and what it means to be black in Mississippi — while uplifting the voices of my subjects.”
Delta Hill Riders
A recent article in Smithsonian estimated that just after the Civil War, one in four cowboys were African American. Yet this population was - and still is - drastically underrepresented in popular accounts. The “cowboy” identity retains a strong presence in many contemporary black communities. This ongoing documentary project in the rural Mississippi Delta sheds light on an overlooked black subculture — one that resists both historical and modern stereotypes. The project began in January 2017 when Doyle attended a black heritage rodeo in Greenville, Mississippi. The body of work reveals how deep and diverse this community is. “I’ve been invited to black heritage rodeos, horse shows, trail rides, “Cowboy Night” at black nightclubs, and subjects’ homes across the Delta” says Doyle. “On a personal level, I've been welcomed by these folks in a way I could not have imagined, because of that, it’s been the most engaging project I've worked on” adds Doyle. It’s a story that's particularly timely with the current political environment, and one that provides a renewed focus on rural America. Delta Hill Riders is a counter-narrative to the often negative portrayal of African Americans. Instead,Doyle has captured a group of riders showing love for their horses and fellow cowboys, while also passing down traditions and historical perspectives among generations. “Ultimately, the project aims to press against my own old archetypes — who could and could not be a cowboy, and what it means to be black in Mississippi — while uplifting the voices of my subjects.”
Tim Smith
Canada
Tim Smith
Canada
Tim Smith is a Manitoba based photographer, and an ally for the Coalition for Women in Journalism. He has spent fourteen years documenting life on the prairies including twelve years photographing the Hutterites; insular Anabaptists that live communally in colonies across Canada and the United States.
His work is among the broadest and most extensive visual documentations of their culture ever produced and has been exhibited across North America, Europe and in Israel. In addition to long-term documentary work, he covers assignments for a variety of editorial and commercial clients in the prairies and occasionally further on. Smith's work has garnered several awards including two National Newspaper Awards and a Judges Special Recognition for the prestigious Pictures of the Year International (POYI) Community Awareness Award. His work has been published in newspapers and magazines worldwide and exhibited extensively in Canada, Europe and the United States.
Portions of his work from the prairies and the Hutterites are part of the Province of Manitoba's art collection as well as the permanent display at the Múzeum Habánov v Sobotišti in Slovakia.
In the World but not of It
The Hutterites, pacifist Anabaptistsn whose roots trace back to the 16th Century Reformation, live communally in colonies throughout western Canada and the north-western United States. Their culture continues to be preserved through deliberate separation from mainstream society and economic self-sufficiency. Despite a history of persecution, the Hutterites are currently in the midst of one of their most successful periods. Facing no overt threats from the outside world they have prospered and grown to over 45,000 members. They are one of the most successful models for communal living in modern history. Members are provided for, throughout their entire lives and generally experience less of the loneliness and isolation prevalent in the modern world. The importance given to engagement in family life, social life and spirituality, and the defined purpose for their lives means Hutterite communities meet many of the requirements to be considered Blue Zones; area’s where health, happiness and life expectancy rates are higher than average. Hutterites are often either romanticised or denigrated as simple, backwards, quaint and/or old fashioned. The reality is that their society is very complex and no two colonies are the same. Smith’s photographs provide a contemporary and nuanced view of the Hutterite colonies – delving into complex decisions at the heart of the everyday. They offer a glimpse into the continuously negotiated sites of Hutterite life. Many of the images focus on the youth culture in the colonies, where expressions of rebellion, respect for tradition, and maintenance of strict gender roles all create a sense of dual resistance – at once against the pressures of the outside world and against tradition. Having devoted 14 years to this project, Smith’s understanding of the Hutterite communities creates a possibility of showing their complexity in ways that are responsive to how they wish to be seen.
In the World but not of It
The Hutterites, pacifist Anabaptistsn whose roots trace back to the 16th Century Reformation, live communally in colonies throughout western Canada and the north-western United States. Their culture continues to be preserved through deliberate separation from mainstream society and economic self-sufficiency. Despite a history of persecution, the Hutterites are currently in the midst of one of their most successful periods. Facing no overt threats from the outside world they have prospered and grown to over 45,000 members. They are one of the most successful models for communal living in modern history. Members are provided for, throughout their entire lives and generally experience less of the loneliness and isolation prevalent in the modern world. The importance given to engagement in family life, social life and spirituality, and the defined purpose for their lives means Hutterite communities meet many of the requirements to be considered Blue Zones; area’s where health, happiness and life expectancy rates are higher than average. Hutterites are often either romanticised or denigrated as simple, backwards, quaint and/or old fashioned. The reality is that their society is very complex and no two colonies are the same. Smith’s photographs provide a contemporary and nuanced view of the Hutterite colonies – delving into complex decisions at the heart of the everyday. They offer a glimpse into the continuously negotiated sites of Hutterite life. Many of the images focus on the youth culture in the colonies, where expressions of rebellion, respect for tradition, and maintenance of strict gender roles all create a sense of dual resistance – at once against the pressures of the outside world and against tradition. Having devoted 14 years to this project, Smith’s understanding of the Hutterite communities creates a possibility of showing their complexity in ways that are responsive to how they wish to be seen.
OCEANIA
Vitor Queiroz
Australia
Vitor Queiroz
Australia
Vitor Queiroz is a photographer, cinematographer and director originally from Portugal but currently based in Sydney, he dedicates time and purpose to his photography parallel to his cinematography career, a balance between commercial video and photography that searches for social purpose. His passion for revealing the inner image and connection in social inequalities fuels his documentary work in a constant inquiring and compassion towards life.
He is also passionate about sharing his knowledge with others and has been a cinematography teacher at Sydney Film School for the past nine years.
Vitor's work has been screened, exhibited and awarded in different countries and has been recognized as one of Australia's emerging talents in photojournalism.
Vitor has created videos that generated millions of online interactions for brands such as Woolworths, Stockland, Discovery Channel, Hungry Jacks, ABC, and more. He has also developed photography projects that search for social purposes, leading him to work with NGO’s and exhibiting with social documentary projects around the globe.
Some of his work has been exhibited in venues and festivals such as the International Festival of Photography of Porto Alegre, Brazil (2020); Touch Is The Mother Of All Senses (Group exhibition) at Alpha House Gallery, Sydney, Australia (2020); Paraty Em Foco International Festival, Paraty, Brazil (2019) ; Helsinki Photo Festival HELPHOTO, Helsinki, Finland (2019); Alpha House Gallery, Sydney, Australia (2017); National Museum of Australia, Canberra, Australia (2017) and ZGallery, Sydney, Australia (2016).
Young Cairo
Judgement comes easy, but sometimes life doesn’t. Taking a stance on quick opinions before trying to understand is a default that comes from the separation and lack of communication between different paths of life, different backgrounds and different futures, however, if we slow down on our judgments we can honour the truly rich and remarkable multicultural country Australia is. Young Cairo is a social documentary series set in Sydney's Inner West - one of the most highly gentrified areas of a growing city - and looks at the daily life of Cairo, a 21-year- old South Sudanese hip-hop artist that is immersed in the hustle of daily life, trying his best to be a son, a brother, an uncle, an adult and a professional musician. A look at a world where family and social role models precipitate over each other in a social background that acts as a magnifying glass, revealing the conflicts that teenagers and young adults face in modern society. Ater Gurin, 21, also known as Cairo to family and friends, was born in Egypt after his family fled from the war in South Sudan and landed in Australia one year later as refugees. Currently Australia accepts a very limited number of refugees and has detention centres in the Pacific islands, such as Nauru and Manus. These policies have accentuated the division between society and some ethnic minorities and widened the difference between social classes. The new generations to which Cairo belongs are already Australian citizens and the integration is a very delicate and complex subject to be deconstructed.
Young Cairo
Judgement comes easy, but sometimes life doesn’t. Taking a stance on quick opinions before trying to understand is a default that comes from the separation and lack of communication between different paths of life, different backgrounds and different futures, however, if we slow down on our judgments we can honour the truly rich and remarkable multicultural country Australia is. Young Cairo is a social documentary series set in Sydney's Inner West - one of the most highly gentrified areas of a growing city - and looks at the daily life of Cairo, a 21-year- old South Sudanese hip-hop artist that is immersed in the hustle of daily life, trying his best to be a son, a brother, an uncle, an adult and a professional musician. A look at a world where family and social role models precipitate over each other in a social background that acts as a magnifying glass, revealing the conflicts that teenagers and young adults face in modern society. Ater Gurin, 21, also known as Cairo to family and friends, was born in Egypt after his family fled from the war in South Sudan and landed in Australia one year later as refugees. Currently Australia accepts a very limited number of refugees and has detention centres in the Pacific islands, such as Nauru and Manus. These policies have accentuated the division between society and some ethnic minorities and widened the difference between social classes. The new generations to which Cairo belongs are already Australian citizens and the integration is a very delicate and complex subject to be deconstructed.
SOUTH AMERICA
Alexis Huaccho
Peru
Alexis Huaccho
Peru
Alexis Huaccho is a Peruvian photographer who received his Bachelor’s degree in Communication Sciences and specialised in Journalism at the Pontificia Universidad Catolica del Peru (PUCP). He was part of the Oxfam communications regional and national team for Latin America (2008-2009), worked as a photographer in the Etiqueta Negra magazine and as a photo editor for Oxtam’s annual reports (2009-2012), and currently works as a freelance photographer developing his own documentary projects and working with organisations, institutions and companies on their visual projects.
Huaccho was a finalist in the Global Landscape Forum International Photo Contest (2014) and was selected for the main exhibition during the COP20 in Lima which is part of the Intensidad y Altura de la Literatura Peruana permanent exhibition at Peruvian Literature House (2015). Huaccho’s work was exhibited in the International Photo Festival of Valparaíso, in Chile (2016,2017), he received an honourable mention in the Pictures of the Year (POY) Latam Photo Contest (2017), participated in the exhibition Off Limits at the Odesa Photo Days International Photo Festival (2018), and was also selected for the Trans Europe Portfolio Reviews PHE2018 with Andrea Holzherr from Magnum, as part of the Photography and visual arts International Festival PhotoEspaña (2018).
Takanakuy
Takanakuy is a Quechua word that means 'to fight' or 'to hit each other'. It is also the word that describes a violent Christmas tradition where people fight for various reasons, for example, to resolve any disagreements or conflicts which arose during the previous year, or just to reinforce their friendship. During the days of the celebration they wear dead animals to inspire fear in their opponents, dance to Huaylía all over the cities and towns while wearing black masks to cover their faces until they fight in the arena. Some of them say that these fights originate from the times of African slavery, when the European landowners would force their servants fight each other for entertainment instead of cockfights. However, after the end of slavery, they used the Quechua natives called “qorilazos” (quechua word for 'golden lasso'), because they were descendants of a warrior society. Eventually they took over and adapted the traditions as part of their own culture. “This series aims to be an objective approach to a witness who tries to show the vibrant expression of the living culture that has been practised by many generations” says Huaccho
Takanakuy
Takanakuy is a Quechua word that means 'to fight' or 'to hit each other'. It is also the word that describes a violent Christmas tradition where people fight for various reasons, for example, to resolve any disagreements or conflicts which arose during the previous year, or just to reinforce their friendship. During the days of the celebration they wear dead animals to inspire fear in their opponents, dance to Huaylía all over the cities and towns while wearing black masks to cover their faces until they fight in the arena. Some of them say that these fights originate from the times of African slavery, when the European landowners would force their servants fight each other for entertainment instead of cockfights. However, after the end of slavery, they used the Quechua natives called “qorilazos” (quechua word for 'golden lasso'), because they were descendants of a warrior society. Eventually they took over and adapted the traditions as part of their own culture. “This series aims to be an objective approach to a witness who tries to show the vibrant expression of the living culture that has been practised by many generations” says Huaccho
Ana Vallejo
Colombia
Ana Vallejo
Colombia
Ana Vallejo is a Colombian photographer, who is fascinated by the nuances of our existence which occur at the periphery of the action in everyday life. Through interdisciplinary and collaborative work, Vallejo seeks to investigate and reflect on human connection with reality and how these interactions expand our sentience and concept of self.
Ana Vallejo is a member of Native Photograph and an X-Photographer for Fujifilm Colombia. In 2018, she was selected as an emergent talent by LensCulture and attended the Eddie Adams Workshop. Vallejo was also shortlisted for the PH Museum Grant in 2019 and part of her work was featured in projections at Cortona OnThe Move (Italy), Obscura Festival (Malaysia), and Just Another Photo Festival (India). Vallejo was also part of the Projections exhibit in Month of Photography in LA and selected as an emergent talent by Magenta Foundation, and selected to be part of Addis Foto Fest.
As a recipient of the Mary Ellen Mark Memorial Scholarship, Vallejo is currently an active member of the New Media Narratives program in the International Center of Photography in New York City.
Entre Nubes
Colombia has the highest internal displacement in the world, a considerable percentage of this migration concentrates itself in and around the capital, Bogotá. Entre Nubes is an artistic experiment which takes place in San German, an informal neighbourhood located on the southern outskirts of Bogotá, next to the Entre Nubes Nature Reserve. Here, displaced families from all regions of Colombia converge, including ethnic minorities, ex-military personnel, and ex-guerrilla fighters, revealing the country’s complicated history. Living in an "illegal" neighbourhood implies living in a marginalised Bogotá, where the land is constantly disputed. Lack of police involvement makes violence the first option for conflict resolution. Vallejo organises and documents creative workshops in the territory that aim to provide safe spaces for profound experiences to take place, igniting interest and creativity within the community. The workshops have focused on painting houses in the neighbourhood with the guidance of renowned street artists. “We chose this medium following James Q Wilson's Broken Windows theory which states that investing in the public space of a community can help transform the social dynamics in the place” says Vallejo. So far, 13 houses have been painted by the community with over 25 volunteers. In January 2020, Vallejo organised a collage workshop for kids in the neighbourhood, utilising fragments of her prints. Entre Nubes has helped finance materials needed to begin the construction of a communal house in San German, a project led by the urbanism collective @en-material and the community. All these initiatives seek to strengthen the identity and sense of belonging in San German. In the future, Vallejo would like to offer longer workshops where the youth can imagine and create visual representation of their dreams for the future of their neighbourhood, by organising large-scale exhibitions in the neighbourhood.
Entre Nubes
Colombia has the highest internal displacement in the world, a considerable percentage of this migration concentrates itself in and around the capital, Bogotá. Entre Nubes is an artistic experiment which takes place in San German, an informal neighbourhood located on the southern outskirts of Bogotá, next to the Entre Nubes Nature Reserve. Here, displaced families from all regions of Colombia converge, including ethnic minorities, ex-military personnel, and ex-guerrilla fighters, revealing the country’s complicated history. Living in an "illegal" neighbourhood implies living in a marginalised Bogotá, where the land is constantly disputed. Lack of police involvement makes violence the first option for conflict resolution. Vallejo organises and documents creative workshops in the territory that aim to provide safe spaces for profound experiences to take place, igniting interest and creativity within the community. The workshops have focused on painting houses in the neighbourhood with the guidance of renowned street artists. “We chose this medium following James Q Wilson's Broken Windows theory which states that investing in the public space of a community can help transform the social dynamics in the place” says Vallejo. So far, 13 houses have been painted by the community with over 25 volunteers. In January 2020, Vallejo organised a collage workshop for kids in the neighbourhood, utilising fragments of her prints. Entre Nubes has helped finance materials needed to begin the construction of a communal house in San German, a project led by the urbanism collective @en-material and the community. All these initiatives seek to strengthen the identity and sense of belonging in San German. In the future, Vallejo would like to offer longer workshops where the youth can imagine and create visual representation of their dreams for the future of their neighbourhood, by organising large-scale exhibitions in the neighbourhood.
Diego Moreno
Mexico
Diego Moreno
Mexico
Diego Moreno (1992) is a Mexican photographer born in San Cristóbal de las Casas, Chiapas, and currently working between Mexico and Switzerland. He has received different awards globally, including, FOAM Talent (2022), The iPhone Photography Awards (2021), The LensCulture Art Award (2021), The OpenWalls (2020), The Cheerz Photo Festival Award (2019), The POY LATAM Award (2019), The FINI Award (2019) and the LensCulture Emerging Talent Award (2018).
Moreno’s work is part of collections and solo and group exhibitions in visual arts festivals in Latin America, USA, Europe, Asia and Africa.
His work has been published widely in different international media such as The Guardian, The British Journal Of Photography, Vogue Italy, GQ Magazine, Internazionale Magazine, Vice Magazine, FOAM Magazine, LensCulture, PHMuseum, Der Greif, GUP Magazine, ELLE Magazine, The Sun, BuzzFeed, FutureShoots, Dienach Magazine and Photo World Magazine China among others.
SPECTRUM
“Spectrum is a hybrid photography project born of, and focused on the interaction with sorceresses and women healers who have lived with me throughout my life, all of them have changed my way of perceiving and understanding the world.” says Moreno This photographic process is conceptualised through the format of portraiture, the creation and registration of domestic and peasant rituals that are intertwined with popular mythology, medicine and botanical wisdom of women's work. Which was accomplished by researching in the Museum of Mayan Medicine and making use of the empirical knowledge of the healing legacy of women in his family and the town of San Cristóbal de las Casas, Chiapas. Mexico. Moreno adds, “In turn, this process serves as a tool to create an ancestral system in connection with different planes of reality and, at the same time, becomes a profound gesture of my own spiritual search and self-discovery, transforming my perception as a man and reconfiguring my masculinity within a universe of female empowerment”.
SPECTRUM
“Spectrum is a hybrid photography project born of, and focused on the interaction with sorceresses and women healers who have lived with me throughout my life, all of them have changed my way of perceiving and understanding the world.” says Moreno This photographic process is conceptualised through the format of portraiture, the creation and registration of domestic and peasant rituals that are intertwined with popular mythology, medicine and botanical wisdom of women's work. Which was accomplished by researching in the Museum of Mayan Medicine and making use of the empirical knowledge of the healing legacy of women in his family and the town of San Cristóbal de las Casas, Chiapas. Mexico. Moreno adds, “In turn, this process serves as a tool to create an ancestral system in connection with different planes of reality and, at the same time, becomes a profound gesture of my own spiritual search and self-discovery, transforming my perception as a man and reconfiguring my masculinity within a universe of female empowerment”.
Federico Rios
Colombia
Federico Rios
Colombia
Federico Rios is a Colombian documentary photographer who has worked for the international press on publications, with a focus on social issues.
Rios’ work has been widely published in media such as The New York Times, National Geographic, Geo, Stern, Times Magazine, Parismatch, El País España, and Folha de São Paulo among others.
In 2012, Rios published his first book on photography The Route Of The Condor under the editorial stamps of The University Jorge Tadeo Lozano and the University of Caldas. In 2013, his second book entitled Fiestas de San Pacho, Quibdó, was published together with the photography collective Mas UNO. Rios’ work has been exhibited at the Art Museum of Caldas (2011), the Museum of Modern Art of Medellín (2013), and Video Guerrilha, and at the international exhibition of art and photography (2013).
Rios’ most recent exhibition Transputamierda was shown at the Valongo International Photo Festival in Santos, Brazil under the curatorial direction of Horacio Fernandez and Iatá Canabrava. His work was also exhibited in La Guardia Gallery of photographic arts in New York (2017), Kaunas Photo Festival (2017), Unseen Photo Festival (2017), and the Gabo Festival (2017).
Rios’ work presents intimate documentation of more than 8 years of dialogue between the guerrillas of the FARC and the Colombian government. This exhibition was inaugurated at the beginning of 2018 in the Museum of Antioquia.
Rios has received many awards for his work including The Hansel Mieth Preis 2019; Prize News Series 2017; POY Latam Special Jury Prize Days Japan 2017, and has participated in the Eddie Adams Workshop XXVII in New York (2014).
FARC the last Days in the Jungle
The FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) was the oldest guerrilla in Latin America, fighting for more than 54 years in the jungles against the Colombian government. Over the last few years, the rebels and the government concentrated their efforts in an agreement aimed to resolve the country's armed conflict. A small group of negotiators went to Havana, Cuba while most of the rebels remained hiding in the Colombian jungles, even in the midst of negotiations bombs and ambushes were a constant threat. The country voted in the referendum to validate the peace process. The people of Colombia voted “no” to ending the conflict between the FARC and the government which devastated the FARC forces. The process of dialogue and peace negotiations between the FARC guerrillas and the Colombian government continues. Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos received the Nobel Peace Prize after both parties signed the agreement, however, the politicized nature of Colombians, and the lack of global insight into the conflict is a huge setback in achieving the re-integration of the guerillas into Colombian society. The FARC live in an environment of hope and fear of war, knowing that every minute might be their last. Meanwhile, the FARC was seen in the territory as the authorities. For many civilians in Colombia, the FARC were the ones who solved local problems pertaining to land, debt, and other social issues in the isolated communities. Since the peace agreement was signed, the environment and the future of the former rebels are still uncertain.
FARC the last Days in the Jungle
The FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) was the oldest guerrilla in Latin America, fighting for more than 54 years in the jungles against the Colombian government. Over the last few years, the rebels and the government concentrated their efforts in an agreement aimed to resolve the country's armed conflict. A small group of negotiators went to Havana, Cuba while most of the rebels remained hiding in the Colombian jungles, even in the midst of negotiations bombs and ambushes were a constant threat. The country voted in the referendum to validate the peace process. The people of Colombia voted “no” to ending the conflict between the FARC and the government which devastated the FARC forces. The process of dialogue and peace negotiations between the FARC guerrillas and the Colombian government continues. Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos received the Nobel Peace Prize after both parties signed the agreement, however, the politicized nature of Colombians, and the lack of global insight into the conflict is a huge setback in achieving the re-integration of the guerillas into Colombian society. The FARC live in an environment of hope and fear of war, knowing that every minute might be their last. Meanwhile, the FARC was seen in the territory as the authorities. For many civilians in Colombia, the FARC were the ones who solved local problems pertaining to land, debt, and other social issues in the isolated communities. Since the peace agreement was signed, the environment and the future of the former rebels are still uncertain.
Gui Christ
Brazil
Gui Christ
Brazil
Gui Christ is a Brazilian Photographer, holding a degree in Fine Art and Design, he started his career as an advertising photographer. For the last decade, Christ has
Gui Christ received his degree in Fine Arts and Design and started his career as a photographer in the advertisement industry. Over the last decade, Christ has worked on a range of global campaigns, and has won some of the most renowned international awards including the Creative Cannes Awards, Clio Awards, and Photokina, he was also nominated Photographer Of The Year by the Brazilian Advertisement Association.
In 2015 Christ Shifted his focus to documentary photography, and has been undertaking personal and commercial projects for international media outlets like the National Geographic Magazine, Time Magazine, and the Washington Post, with a focus on documenting outlying cultural, social, and economic areas in Brazil. Christ is committed to providing visibility to marginalized communities, through his creative approaches. This has led him to receive awards from institutions like The National Geographic Society, Pulitzer Centre for Journalism, and Harvard University.
“The Cracked”
Crack cocaine became popular in Brazil during the 1980s. For over 40 years it has been an epidemic, with almost 2 million users, affecting 10% of the country’s population, and represents 20% of the global crack consumption making it the world’s biggest crack market. São Paulo, Brazil’s economic capital, was once the country’s most developed city. After decades of economic and urban-related crises, it was drastically degraded and on its streets emerged the biggest drug market in the world, referred to by the locals as “Crackland”. Due to crack’s high psychoactive effects and the area’s economic crisis, Crackland has become the most feared block in the city. The people who live there are considered a threat to society; a kind of pariah group called "The Cracked”. In 2017, the local municipality started a new project to restore the area, which resulted in many conflicts and police violence. Since then, Christ has been visiting the place to photograph how the richest neighborhood in the country has become its most feared one. In addition, for over two years, Christ has built a small photo studio to offer free photos to addicts, in return for short interviews, to document how they make their pipes from broken or discarded objects to consume crack. “To me, the cracks found at the old mansions’ walls, now turned into drug hotels, the deep skin wounds created by the intense drug usage, and the broken pipes have the same origins,” says Christ. This project aims to be a visual record of the area, which is occupied by an ignored population where both the place and its inhabitants are affected by the largest crack-cocaine epidemic in the world.
“The Cracked”
Crack cocaine became popular in Brazil during the 1980s. For over 40 years it has been an epidemic, with almost 2 million users, affecting 10% of the country’s population, and represents 20% of the global crack consumption making it the world’s biggest crack market. São Paulo, Brazil’s economic capital, was once the country’s most developed city. After decades of economic and urban-related crises, it was drastically degraded and on its streets emerged the biggest drug market in the world, referred to by the locals as “Crackland”. Due to crack’s high psychoactive effects and the area’s economic crisis, Crackland has become the most feared block in the city. The people who live there are considered a threat to society; a kind of pariah group called "The Cracked”. In 2017, the local municipality started a new project to restore the area, which resulted in many conflicts and police violence. Since then, Christ has been visiting the place to photograph how the richest neighborhood in the country has become its most feared one. In addition, for over two years, Christ has built a small photo studio to offer free photos to addicts, in return for short interviews, to document how they make their pipes from broken or discarded objects to consume crack. “To me, the cracks found at the old mansions’ walls, now turned into drug hotels, the deep skin wounds created by the intense drug usage, and the broken pipes have the same origins,” says Christ. This project aims to be a visual record of the area, which is occupied by an ignored population where both the place and its inhabitants are affected by the largest crack-cocaine epidemic in the world.
Juan Orrantia
Colombia
Juan Orrantia
Colombia
Juan Orrantia approaches photography as an ongoing reflexive interrogation of histories and experiences of looking and being seen. Orrantia employs colour, formal appropriation, and the photobook as modes to destabilise the viewer's understanding of the viewer/subject relationship.
He published his work Like Stains of Red Dirt (2020) after receiving the Fiebre Dummy Award, and A Machete Pelao (VerdeRojo) will be published as a result of the 2019 Centro de Fotografia de Montevideo Latin American Photobook Award. Orrantia’s self-published books are in the collections of the Smithsonian Museum of African Art Library, Biblioteca de Arte Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian, and The Ginsberg Center for the Book, Wits Art Museum. He has been awarded grants from the Smithsonian Institution, The Tierney Fellowship, and various fellowships and residencies. Reviews of his work have appeared in Aperture, Nearest Truth, British Journal of Photography, and Africa is a Country, among others.
Orrantia was born in Colombia and lives in Johannesburg, South Africa, lecturing at universities and photo institutions. He holds an MFA in Photography from Hartford Art School.
Like Stains of Red Dirt
“Like Stains of Red Dirt is a series of moments that recognize my experience of a particular place. It is an inward look, meandering through that which is close to me in order to consider my relationship with South Africa, which I have called home for 10 years. I can’t really say which came first, the idea or the images, but the realisation of a relationship with a place, with all its ups and downs, good and bad, histories and imaginations went hand in hand with the making of these pictures. I photograph my family, my home and my immediate surroundings in order to craft a language by which to engage this relationship” says Orrantia. Through the use of colour, framing and the interplay between spontaneous, intuitive and constructed scenes, Orrantia wants to allude to undercurrents rather than pointing to a specific description of this relationship. Set between a personal reflection and a traditional approach to the representations of Africa, its history and daily life, Orrantia’s approach emphasises the possibilities that subjective interactions can allow us to imagine alternatives beyond prescribed views of the world".
Like Stains of Red Dirt
“Like Stains of Red Dirt is a series of moments that recognize my experience of a particular place. It is an inward look, meandering through that which is close to me in order to consider my relationship with South Africa, which I have called home for 10 years. I can’t really say which came first, the idea or the images, but the realisation of a relationship with a place, with all its ups and downs, good and bad, histories and imaginations went hand in hand with the making of these pictures. I photograph my family, my home and my immediate surroundings in order to craft a language by which to engage this relationship” says Orrantia. Through the use of colour, framing and the interplay between spontaneous, intuitive and constructed scenes, Orrantia wants to allude to undercurrents rather than pointing to a specific description of this relationship. Set between a personal reflection and a traditional approach to the representations of Africa, its history and daily life, Orrantia’s approach emphasises the possibilities that subjective interactions can allow us to imagine alternatives beyond prescribed views of the world".
Natalia Dana
Argentina
Natalia Dana
Argentina
Natalia Dana (1983) is a Photographer, Graphic Designer and a Professor in the Multimedia Arts Degree at the National University of Arts in Buenos Aires, who currently lives and works in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Dana graduated from the EFA Andy Goldstein and the University of Buenos Aires, where she completed her education with several workshops and clinics of contemporary art and photography as well as illustration, dance, sculpture & writing, her teachers included Lorena Fernandez, Alessandra Sanguinetti, Silvia Gurfein, Don Rypka, Alberto Goldenstein and Yumi Goto amongst others.
She finds her interest in the relationship between identity and its representation through images. This is a personal interest that arises from growing up in a Jewish family with a Brazilian mother and Lebanese father.
Dana develops her personal work in photography participating in different exhibitions, both individual and collective. She’s been selected for FNA prize in 2018 and Ayerza prize in 2019, both in Argentina. Dana was also a Nominee for the International Photography grant 2019, where her work has been shown in different Art Galleries and Cultural Centres in Buenos Aires and Spain.
Tzniut
“Tzniut means modesty, dignity, demureness. It is the way to embellish the human being, hiding what only in intimacy shall be revealed.” From The Secret of Jewish Femininity. In the Jewish religion, modesty is a means to create privacy. The veiling of married Jewish women's hair is motivated by such modesty. “Ever since I was a child I wondered about my place as a woman. I used to question why my father always walked ahead of me, or why us women had to sit in the back at Temple. I was born and raised in Argentina under Jewish customs and traditions. I come from a family of Arab Jews, and both cultures were present in my upbringing. I’ve been portraying people’s backs, obstructions and meaningless elements for years, without really knowing why. A while back I realised that many of the memories I have from my childhood are obstructed, partially visible. Like my father’s face. Like religious women’s hair. The project explores the concept of intimacy by portraying the Torah-observant women, their relationship with religion, customs and the interaction within the household. Dana is especially interested in capturing details. Hints on their daily life that can help grasp the essence of Tzniut.
Tzniut
“Tzniut means modesty, dignity, demureness. It is the way to embellish the human being, hiding what only in intimacy shall be revealed.” From The Secret of Jewish Femininity. In the Jewish religion, modesty is a means to create privacy. The veiling of married Jewish women's hair is motivated by such modesty. “Ever since I was a child I wondered about my place as a woman. I used to question why my father always walked ahead of me, or why us women had to sit in the back at Temple. I was born and raised in Argentina under Jewish customs and traditions. I come from a family of Arab Jews, and both cultures were present in my upbringing. I’ve been portraying people’s backs, obstructions and meaningless elements for years, without really knowing why. A while back I realised that many of the memories I have from my childhood are obstructed, partially visible. Like my father’s face. Like religious women’s hair. The project explores the concept of intimacy by portraying the Torah-observant women, their relationship with religion, customs and the interaction within the household. Dana is especially interested in capturing details. Hints on their daily life that can help grasp the essence of Tzniut.
Pablo Albarenga
Uruguay
Pablo Albarenga
Uruguay
Pablo Albarenga (1990), is a documentary photographer and visual storyteller, with a focus on exploring minorities in Latin America. As an award winning Uruguayan documentary photographer, Albarenga is focused on the remnants of coloniality affecting indigenous populations and minority issues in Latin America, specifically in Brazil.
Albarenga's aim is to shine light on the subject matter close to his heart, to showcase the problems of these minorities. In 2016, he travelled for the first time to Mato Grosso do Sul, where he met Guarani Kaiowá, and began with his second international publication in El País in Madrid. P
Albarenga is a Pulitzer Centre Grantee and collaborates with many national and international media including The Associated Press (USA), Deutsche Presse-Agentur – DPA, El País (ES), Amazônia Real (BR), La diaria (UY), El Observador (UY), La República (UY), Voces (UY), Lento Magazine (UY), THC Magazine (AR) and Soft Secrets Magazine (NL).
SEEDS OF RESISTANCE
RAINFOREST DEFENDERS
2017 was the year with the highest assassination of the land defenders. At least 207 indigenous leaders and environmentalists were killed for protecting their communities from mining, agro-business and other projects that are threatening their existence. According to the latest report by Global Witness, most of these cases occurred in Brazil with 57 assassinations; 80 % were against people defending the Amazon. While the data of the assassinations show an alarming frequency, they do not provide detailed information about the stories and the people behind them or about the struggles they are still facing. The destructive economic practices not only destroy the environment, but also seek to exploit the resources of the land without considering any historical or cultural aspects of heritage, offering only relocation as a solution. For this reason, the indigenous people refuse to abandon their land, even when it has been completely devastated. Seeds Of Resistance is a project that seeks to capture the stories of struggle in several locations in Brazil, while considering the bond with the ancestral territory and demonstrating the threats that the communities face. By making photo-compositions with drones, the characters were portrayed from above to show them over their territory. Next to them, a higher image shows the territory that they defend. “What's happening in the Amazon rainforest is of an urgent nature. While this text is being read, at least ten indigenous communities in Brazil are being invaded by illegal projects, empowered by Bolsonaro's speech” says Albarenga.
SEEDS OF RESISTANCE
RAINFOREST DEFENDERS
2017 was the year with the highest assassination of the land defenders. At least 207 indigenous leaders and environmentalists were killed for protecting their communities from mining, agro-business and other projects that are threatening their existence. According to the latest report by Global Witness, most of these cases occurred in Brazil with 57 assassinations; 80 % were against people defending the Amazon. While the data of the assassinations show an alarming frequency, they do not provide detailed information about the stories and the people behind them or about the struggles they are still facing. The destructive economic practices not only destroy the environment, but also seek to exploit the resources of the land without considering any historical or cultural aspects of heritage, offering only relocation as a solution. For this reason, the indigenous people refuse to abandon their land, even when it has been completely devastated. Seeds Of Resistance is a project that seeks to capture the stories of struggle in several locations in Brazil, while considering the bond with the ancestral territory and demonstrating the threats that the communities face. By making photo-compositions with drones, the characters were portrayed from above to show them over their territory. Next to them, a higher image shows the territory that they defend. “What's happening in the Amazon rainforest is of an urgent nature. While this text is being read, at least ten indigenous communities in Brazil are being invaded by illegal projects, empowered by Bolsonaro's speech” says Albarenga.
Our Partners
