GPP Talks with Laura El-Tantawy

Join us on Sunday, November 28 at 7pm for an artist talk and Q&A session with Laura El-Tantawy. In this one hour talk, the British-Egyptian photographer and Canon Ambassador will journey through her work, from the start of her career as a student to the development of her unique visual language and monographs. She will specifically address her visual journeys with In the Shadow of the Pyramids, Beyond Here Is Nothing, A Star in the Sea and I’ll Die For You. This event has limited seating, so RSVP to secure your spot! 

 

 

Project Descriptions

 

In the Shadow of the Pyramids

 

This series is a first-person account exploring memory and identity. With images spanning 2005 to 2014, what began as a look in the mirror to understand the essence of Egyptian identity expanded into an exploration of the trials and tribulations of a troubled nation. The result is dark, sentimental and passionate, juxtaposing the innocence of the artist's past with the obscurity of the present.

 

Beyond Here Is Nothing

 

Beyond Here Is Nothing is a meditation on home as a place of belonging, a tranquil state of mind; a nostalgic memory or an imaginary destination. The artist's personal experience growing up in contrasting cultures is the window to this intimate and emotive visual exploration of the unsettling feeling of rootlessness, the mental burden of loneliness, and the constant search for belonging in unfamiliar places. Drifting between the physical and the whimsical, the series reveals itself through layers of images and words – a mirror of dispositions brought to life in a three dimensional book.

 

About the Artist

Laura El-Tantawy is an award winning British-Egyptian documentary photographer, artful book maker & mentor. She is a Canon Ambassador, representing the global camera giant’s vision & passion for visual storytelling. Born in Ronskwood in Worcestershire, UK, Laura studied in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the US & UK. Living between East and West for much of her life inspires her work, which contemplates notions of home & belonging through exploring social & environmental issues pertinent to her background. Her photography is recognised for its characteristically painterly & lyrical eye on reality. Laura started her career as a newspaper photographer in the United States. She turned freelance in 2005, moving to Cairo and starting what became her seminal body of work In the Shadow of the Pyramids.