Franki Raffles: Photography, Activism, Campaign Works
The first ever major retrospective exhibition of feminist, activist, social documentary photographer Franki Raffles has opened at Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art.
by spectrum
Raffles, in her efforts to make the unseen aspects of working class women’s lives seen, is said to have taken over 40,000 pictures in just the 10 years before her untimely tragic death in 1994. The Edinburgh-based photographer is known for her documenting of women’s lives and their work, addressing issues such as inequality, gendered violence, disability, activism and sisterhood.
This new exhibition at the Baltic in Gateshead is the largest institutional survey of Raffles’ work to date. It features a collection of photographs, many of which are being shown publicly for the first time, alongside archival material that provides context to her work. The exhibition includes dozens of photographs from various projects and campaigns, as well as images from her travels to countries such as China, Tibet, and the Soviet Union just before its collapse. Additionally, the exhibition highlights her powerful staged photos for Zero Tolerance, a groundbreaking campaign against male violence toward women.
Spectrum were proud to be the official print partner on this significant retrospective show of over 300 pieces of work, producing digital C-type prints mounted to Dibond, as well as archival framed C-type prints.
Biography
Raffles was born in Salford and studied at the University of St. Andrews. Upon graduation, Raffles moved to Lewis then on to Edinburgh. She documented the lives of women and their work in the UK – predominantly in Scotland and during periods of travels with her family in the 1980s across China, Tibet, Nepal, India, Hong Kong, the Philippines and Russia.
Franki Raffles at Baltic: Gallery Information
Franki Raffles: Photography, Activism, Campaign Works is presented in the Northumbria University Gallery, Level 3 at Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art, Gateshead and runs until 16 March 2025 and entry is. For more info on the exhibition see here, and you can also find out what to expect when visiting Franki Raffles: Photography, Activism, Campaign Works with this Visual Story – a guide with words and pictures.