‘Portrait of Britain’, A Nationwide Exhibition, September 2017

The magazine 'British Journal of Photography' is annually organizing a competition and exhibition, which showcases the many faces of modern Britain. In partnership with JCDecaux, an out-of-home advertising company, this is thebiggest public outdoor showcase of contemporary photography.

 I am trilled to announce that one on my images is among the 100 selected portraits. Throughout September those images will be displayed on high streets, roadsides and in transport hubs, visible to an audience of millions.

 About the image 'Memories': 96 year old Daphne Davis has lived in the same house in Edgware since 1954, the year she got married. Daphne remarks that she hasn't had a professional portrait taken before in her lifetime, except for her wedding photograph.

 The image is from the project 'Once upon a Time', which is inspired by a quote from the movie 'The Straight Story' by David Lynch: "The worst thing about being old is remembering what it was being young". However, when I ask my sitters about the past, what comes up is the stories they cherish, the people they most love and the magical places they visited.

 The series is still in development, more to come soon.

'London Independent Photographers' 10th Greenwich Annual Exhibition, 14.08 - 27.08.17

As every year, the members of the Greenwich group of LIP are showcasing their work at Greenwich Gallery.

For this years exhibition I have chosen on of my favorite images from my work in Vietnam. It was created for a book commission on Hanoi City. The picture is a portrait of 25 year old ‘Le Dinh Hung’; he is running his own motorbike workshop in Ba Dinh District. Hung knows everything about his trade and claims he can build any type of custom made motorbikes on request.

The opening event: Thursday, 17th August, 6.30pm - 8.30pm
Venue: The Greenwich Gallery at 
Linear House, Peyton Place, London SE10 8RS
 

Opening times: Mo - Fri, 9am - 5pm / Sat - Sun, 12pm - 4pm

There will also be a special critics evening: Thursday, 24th August, 6.30-8.30pm 

'100 Faces of Viet Nam (2)', KOLGA Award nomination & Photo Festival, 05 - 13.05.17


I am trilled to announce the outcome of the Kolga Award in 2017: Various images of mine have been nominated to be among the best projects; they will be exhibited during the KOLGA TBILISI PHOTO Festival and celebrated at the opening event on 5th May.

This year the jury went for another selection of 10 images from my documentary series '100 Faces of Viet Nam'. The images were taken from 2013 - 2016 and demonstrate scenes of life and work in the cities of Vietnam.

Another nomination went in favor of the portrait 'Mbaye' from the series 'Made in Senegal' in the category 'One Shot'. This body of work is depicting small scale food producers; it was created during my artist residency in Saint Lewis, Senegal.

However, I am particularly proud about the nomination of 'Daphne' (from the series 'Once upon a Time'). This is a brand new project, dealing with memories on how it felt to be young.

Venue for the award exhibition: 14 Kostava Street, Art-space at the Hippodrome Park, Tamarashvili Str.13, Tbilisi, Georgia
Opening event: 5th May 2017 at 8pm
Professional week: 5th - 11th May 2017

For further information about the festival please click here: https://www.kolga.ge

'People of the City', Exhibition & Book Launch, 16.03.17

Another photo book is about to be ready!!! Michael Waibel's latest publication on urban city development is going to be in print this week and will be available from 16th March. This time we were exploring the recent developments in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

As you might know, in the years from 2013 to 2016 I was commissioned to take photographs of people in major cities of Vietnam. In addition to this, we are now proud to announce book number 5, for which I traveled to Cambodia's capital city last year in September.

With support of the Goethe Institute and the Meta House, a German-Cambodian cultural centre, we are now preparing our informative book launch event, which will also feature a selection of my images in the exhibition hall (image preview).

The show will last for one month from 16th March to 17th April 2017
Venue: Meta House, 37 Samdach Sothearos Blvd (3), Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Exhibition opening and launch event: 16th March, 6pm 
Talks and guest speakers:Nico Mesterharm (Meta House), Astrid Schulz, Michael Waibel

Statement:
'The photos of this exhibition are taken for chapter 4 in Dr Michael Waibel’s latest photo book ‘Phnom Penh: CAPITAL CITY’. In this chapter, a variety of residents have been asked to comment on their impressions and relationships to the city they call home. Astrid wanted to take a closer look behind the facade and explore how people use their personal space. The outcome is a collection of enticing insights into homes and workplaces spanning rich and poor, younger and older generations, migrants and those who have lived there all their lives and helped shaping the city'.

The book 'Phnom Penh CAPITAL CITY' is available on Amazon (ISBN: 9-789924 915102)

‘London Independent Photography’s 28th Annual Exhibition’: 15.11 - 20.11.16

Each year the members group 'London Independent Photographers' (LIP) is celebrating the best work of their members in an annual group exhibition to be appreciated by each other and by the general public. This time we will be in a gallery in London's East End.



I am going to join the show with 4 images from my portrait series from Vietnam, a project which is was commissioned for a number of photo books. The series has been chosen for the LensCulture finalist award in 2016 and got voted to be among the best documentary photo projects at the KOLGA AWARD exhibition in Tbilisi, Georgia. 



Venue: Escacio Gallery, 159 Bethnal Green Road, London, E2 7DG


Opening times: Tuesday – Saturday: 1pm – 7pm, 
Sunday: 1pm - 5pm



The member's private view takes place on 15th November 2016, from 6.30pm - 8.30pm

'ICONIC 2016' Palermo, Group Exhibition, 15.10 - 30.10.16

Proud announcement: one of my images from the ‘Madonna’ series (on the right) has been selected for the legendary ICONIC 2016 exhibition in Palermo. The show features portraits & artwork inspired by the 'Queen of Pop' and hosts a section of photography with subjects that are influenced by Madonna's career and status as an icon.

Opening event: Saturday, 15th October 2016 at 6pm

Venue: BOBEZ Arte Contemporanea, Via Isidoro La Lumia 22, Palermo 

Opening times: Tuesday to Saturday, 10am - 12pm & 5pm - 7.30pm, 
Monday by appointment only

Hereby I would like to thank Mary Ellen Lamb (make-up), Gabrielle Guy (photography assistance), and especially Stephanie Newton for modelling as Madonna.

'London Independent Photographers' 9th Greenwich Annual Exhibition, 08.08 - 21.08.16

As every year, the members of the Greenwich group of LIP are showcasing their work at Greenwich Gallery. This year I have chosen to exhibit another image from my work in Vietnam, which I created during a 2month artist residency in 2013. The picture is called ‘Seashells’; it is a portrait of ‘Chau Thi No’. Mrs No has been boiling tiny seashells on Con Hen Island for over 30 years. This occupation was passed on from her ancestors. View more images from the series 'Made in Vietnam'.

The opening event: Thursday, 11th August, 6.30pm - 8.30pm
Venue: The Greenwich Gallery at 
Linear House, Peyton Place, London SE10 8RS
 

Opening times: Mo - Fri, 9am - 5.30 / Sat - Sun, 1pm - 5pm

The series ‘Farmers' has been created in honour of micro food production households and features people who are physically involved in growing or producing food from their homes and gardens. We often forget how labour intensive it is to produce what we eat. Especially in the Western world the connection between food and nature seems to get lost. The aim of the project is to re-establish a relationship with the origin of food provisions. The series will be continued in Latin America.

'100 Faces of Viet Nam', KOLGA Award nomination, 12.05.16

Proud announcement: 
my portrait images from Viet Nam are voted to be among the best photo projects created in 2015 and are shortlisted for the KOLGA AWARD in the documentary category!!!

Eight images were chosen by international jury members and they will be exhibited during the photography festival during May 2016 in Tbilisi, Capital City of Georgia.

The images have been commissioned in between 2013 - 2015 and are planned to be published as a portrait book with the title '100 Faces of Viet Nam' in 2017.

And there is more good news: another one of my images got nominated for the category 'One Shot'. The picture of 'Lassana, the Poultry Breeder' was taken during my artist residency at Waaw in Saint Louis, Senegal (from the series 'Made in Senegal', 2015).

Venue for the exhibition: 14 Kostava Street, Tbilisi, Georgia
Opening event: 12 May, 2016, from 6pm
Festival duration: 12 -19 May 2016

Further information can be found here: http://kolga.ge

There will also be an overall winner for each category. Please keep your fingers crossed for me :)))

2nd German Solo Show: 'Hairdressers' Exhibition, 13.04 – 13.05.16

Another exciting announcement: my

'Hairdressers'

have been selected to highlight the opening event at the German Hairstylists convention in Saarbrücken. The annual convention is held by the Trade Cooperation and supported by the Landesinnung Friseure and Kosmetik

(Guild for Hairstylists and Beauty).

Venue:

Handwerkskammer des Saarlandes (Trade Cooperation of Saarland), Hohenzollernstrasse 47 - 49, 66117 Saarbrücken, Germany

Opening event:

Thursday, 14th April 2016, from 6.00pm

The series 'Hairdressers’ is inspired by the novel

Egalia's Daughters

in which the protagonists swapped gender based roles. The images are questioning our perception on what is regarded as ‘normal’ and what is ‘

acceptable

’ in our society. Perhaps it’s time for men to get emancipated, when it comes to style?

Reminder: ‘Portrait Salon’ in Tokyo, 13.02 - 28.02.2016


As already announced, the Portrait Salon selection from 2015 will travel to The Reminders Photography Stronghold Gallery in Tokyo and one of my portraits from 'Made in Senegal' has been selected to be exhibited.

In case you are near Japan, this is how you get there:
Venue: Reminders Photography Stronghold
Address: 131-0032, 2-38-5, Higashi-mukojima, Sumida-ku, Tokyo
Opening: Saturday, 13th February, 1pm

This exhibition was first shown at Embassy Tea Gallery in London in November. It shows prints from photographers that submitted to and were rejected by the Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize.

‘Portrait Salon’, Group Show, 19.11 – 22.11.2015

Another exhibition opportunity arises: one of my Senegal portraits (food series) has been selected for the Portrait Salon exhibition. Now in it’s fifth year, this annual exhibition will be exhibiting a selection of portraits from photographers that submitted to and were rejected by the Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize in 2015.

Visitors to the print exhibition will be able to vote on their favourite three portraits. Please come and help me win :)

The private view takes place on Thursday, 19th November 2014 from 6.00pm – 9.00pm.
The gallery opening times are 11.00qm – 6.00pm
Venue: EMBASSY TEA GALLERY

, 195-205 Union Street, 
Bankside, London SE1 0LN


On Saturday 21st November 2015 Portrait Salon will be collaborating with Miniclick for a ‘The Heart Grows Fonder’ event at The Embassy Tea Gallery that will include all the portraits selected in this year’s Portrait Salon. Participants will have the chance to create their own, unique Portrait Salon ‘zine’.

In February 2016 the Portrait Salon selection will travel to The Reminders Photography Stronghold Gallery in Tokyo. Will report in time…

‘Maagni Fi’, Artist in Residence at Waaw from 2014-15, 13.10 – 02.11.2015


"Maangi fii" means "I am here" in Wolof, the local language in Senegal. Well, I am not, but some of my artwork still is. So, as I am proud to have been part of the artist residency community at Waaw in Saint Louis, I am happy to announce that there will be a retrospective of previous artist and my work will be included.

The picture on the right is a pattern, which is part of a paper carpet with the title 'Made in Senegal'. It shows the hands of a local woman whilst producing Thiakry, a millet based breakfast cereal.  The motive echos the bold and colourful fabrics seen all over Africa, whereas the paper carpet itself is 'covering' for various types of foods that are produced in Saint Louis.

Venue: Galérie Éthiopiques, rue Khalifa Ababacar Sy x Potin, Saint Louis, Senegal


Opening times: 11am – 1pm & 7pm – 7pm

Other artwork on display has been created by Carl Fredrik Koltermann, Maya Portner and Tobias Richardson. With this exhibition Waaw is going to open its doors again for a new season of international artist.

‘London Independent Photography’s 27th Annual Exhibition’: 20.10 - 01.11.15

Once again, LIP is celebrating outstanding photography of their members in a gallery in South London, not far from the Tate Modern. The annual exhibition aims to provide a platform for members to exhibit their best work, to be viewed by each other and by the general public.

This time I am going to join the show with 4 images from my ‘Playing Card’ series, a project which is playfully observing our daily routine on mobile devices.
The series was voted to be amongst the best photo projects of the year 2015 and exhibited at the KOLGA AWARD exhibition in Tbilisi, Georgia.

Venue: EMBASSY TEA GALLERY

195-205 Union Street, 
Bankside, London SE1 0LN

Opening times: Monday – Saturday: 11am – 7pm
Sunday: 11am - 6pm

The member's private view takes place on 20th October 2015, from 6.00pm - 9.00pm

'London Independent Photographers' 8th Greenwich Annual Exhibition, 03.08 - 16.08.15


As every year, the members of the Greenwich group of LIP are showcasing their work at Greenwich Gallery. This year I have chosen to exhibit another image from my work in Vietnam, which was created during a 2month residency in 2013. The image is depicting ‘Tran Thi Ngoc Hoa’, selling lekima (egg fruit) and water apples from her garden. More images from the series 'Made in Vietnam'.

The private view takes place on Saturday, 3th August 2014 from 6.30pm - 8.30pm.
Venue: The Greenwich Gallery at 
Linear House, Peyton Place, London SE10 8RS
 

Opening times: Mo - Fri, 9am - 5.30pm & Sat - Sun, 1pm - 5pm

The series ‘Farmers' has been created in honour of micro food production households and features people who are physically involved in growing or producing food from their homes and gardens. We often forget how labour intensive it is to produce what we eat. Especially in the Western world the connection between food and nature seems to get lost. The aim of the project is to re-establish a relationship with the origin of food provisions.