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Projecting Power: Photography As Activism

Projecting Power: Photography as Activism sees young creatives analyse systems of power.

A woman with afro combs in her hair. Part of the Projecting Power: Photography As Activism exhibition
Image from Personal and Beautiful series © Destinie Paige

Young creatives analyse systems of power in Projecting Power: Photography as Activism.

The Photo Fringe project sees artists aged 16-21 using the medium of photography to explore activism.

Their work traverses from the personal to the political, drawing inspiration from the documentary photography of Gordon Parks to the self-portraits of Zanele Muholi.

Artist and curator Natalie Mitchell devised the project.

She led a series of workshops in which young artists were invited to examine how photography can be used to document history.

“It has been such a joy to witness their desire to learn and to grow creatively, particularly in these trying times,” said Mitchell.

“Their passion and tenacity has been inspiring.”

A women sits in a hut in the marshlands of south Iraq
Image from Woven Reeds series © Maroa-Isabell Al-Sahlani

Meet the artists

Destinie Paige is a director, photographer and set designer.

The Personal and Beautiful series is an ode to black women, their hair and beauty.

Hisham Pryce-Parchment, 20, is interested in the points at which art and philosophy meet.

Folding My Father draws inspiration from Deleuzian philosophy, Donald Rodney’s sketchbooks, family archives, poems and diary entries.

Malak Hamdallah, 21, is an Egyptian photographer trying to explore the power of writing with light.

Photo series Solus explores the concept of dissonance and the internal conflicts we face through life.

Maroa-Isabell is a multidisciplinary creative and activist.

Woven Reeds is a documentary photography project exploring the environmental issues surrounding the marshlands in southern Iraq created by political and social conflict.

Mars Obonyo is a London-based photographic artist and curator.

Inspired by Zanele Muholi, Friends of Dorothy is a series of portraits and self portraits of Black Queer individuals.

Shaefali Sakharkar aims to showcase the human experience from varied perspectives.

Photography-based project Home explores the relationship of the artist’s mother to the word home itself.

Symoné Adeyemi finds inspirations in every aspect of life – from people to music and food.

The Ìyá Mí series is about the artist’s mother and her beauty. It is also in celebration and love of Nigerian culture.

A hand holds a folded note
Image from Folding My Father series © Hisham Pryce-Parchment

Projecting Power: Photography as Activism

Projecting Power: Photography as Activism is on display at Jubilee Library, Brighton, until October 23.

Spectrum Photographic produced large poster prints for the show.

Find out more here.