New work by young photographers Alejandra Carles-Tolra, Sam Laughlin and Lua Ribeira are currently shown at Jerwood Space, London in the second Jerwood/Photoworks Awards exhibition from 17 January – 11 March 2018. The exhibition explores themes of such as death, belonging and the fragility of the natural world. Following its London premiere, the show will tour across the United Kingdom to venues including Impressions Gallery, Bradford and Belfast Exposed.
Alejandra Carles-Tolra is interested in the relationship between individual and group identity and how one identity influences the other. In Where We Belong she explores themes of belonging, femininity and escapism by following a group of Jane Austen devotees. On another hand, Sam Laughlin’s series A Certain Movement is a meditation on the state of the natural world and our place within it. His work focuses on patterns of animal behaviour and intricate natural processes occurring all around us. Close observations of various species and the signs suggesting their presence in the landscape, allow us to enter intimate and fragile spaces, increasingly marginalised by human activities. Finally, Lua Ribeira’s constructed series Subida al Cielo (heavenly ascent) is a personal visualisation, built on the fear of dying. Motivated by escape from reality and the longing for mythological significance in contemporary life, the work is an allegorical exploration of the inevitable decay of the human body, in relation to classical mythology and religious symbols of mortality.
Following a national open call, the three photographers were selected from over 350 artists by the jury of the Jerwood/Photoworks Awards. With a bursary of £5,000 each and access to a significant production fund to make new work, they now underwent a year of developmental support from photography specialists such as photographers Mitch Epstein or publisher Michael Mack. Celia Davies, Director of Photoworks and Sarah Williams, Head of Programme, Jerwood Visual Arts said together: “We are delighted to be presenting this, the second edition of the Jerwood/Photoworks Awards, a unique opportunity, recognising and supporting potential with a distinctive combination of mentoring, production resources, and a national exhibition tour. It has been an incredible year of dialogue and development for the Awardees who have each received support from the team at Photoworks and Jerwood Charitable Foundation and insights from our brilliant mentors. It’s been a privilege to see their ideas develop and this year’s exhibition is truly diverse, both in the subjects explored and the artists’ individual approaches to image-making. The Awards have already proved to be an important platform for artists and we look forward to seeing Alejandra, Lua and Sam’s careers continue to flourish.”
Jerwood/Photoworks Awards
17 January – 11 March 2018
Jerwood Space
171 Union Street
London SE1 0LN
United Kingdom
