SHOWnews: Photo London Edition

Whether you're an avid follower of London's art scene, a collector, or even an artist yourself, it can be hard knowing where to turn amidst the sea of trade fair shows in and around the capital this time of year. From London Craft Week in May to the industry's much-anticipated London Gallery Weekend in June, no diary remains empty for anyone with even a remote interest in the arts, and that's before you get to the industry behemoth that is Photo London.

Despite living in a TikTok-first, 'Welcome to my algorithm' kind of world that is increasingly saturated with imagery, Photo London's place in the industry remains second to none as it continues to serve as a defiant reminder of photography's power, one that disarms as much as it disrupts. What's more is that this year's event marks the fair's tenth anniversary, which welcomes an impressive roster of returning galleries as well as new international ones divided amongst five sections: Main, Discovery and Positions, the latter of which will feature photographers who are currently unrepresented yet remain championed by collectors and patrons. Adding to this year's edition, there will also be a new book market for independent publishers and a series of talks curated by Thames & Hudson.

From the incredibly bold work of Palestinian-American photographer Adam Rouhana, who uses the camera to deconstruct orientalism and the revolutionary work of Black Panther Party photographer Stephen Shames to the unnerving beauty of a Lee Miller negative (of which there will be plenty) a Dora Maar photogram and a Nick Turpin shot of a Londoner on their way home, what unites all participating galleries and artists in this year's fair is the fight to be seen, heard and understood. SHOWstudio filters through the flashbulb frenzy to bring you the most arresting and simultaneously unsettling images that speak of photography not just as medium but as message, the political, playful and personal all intertwined. After all, why say 1000 words when you can take a picture in a tenth of a second?

EMBANKMENT EAST AND WEST GALLERIES

London Lives, Curated by Francis Hodgson

Normally, the question on everyone's lips in the lead up to Photo London is 'Who is this year's Master of Photography?'; an award that is part and parcel of the fair and presented every year to a living artist who has made an exceptional contribution to photography. 2022 saw Nick Knight take home the prestigious prize, followed by Martin Parr in 2023 and Valérie Belin last year. This year? Everyone's a winner.

Taking over both the Embankment East & West Galleries at Somerset House, this year's annual photography exhibit, curated by Francis Hodgson, doesn't revolve around one person's work but many. Titled London Lives, which acts as an homage to London itself as well as the photographers on show, this exhibition gathers around 30 of the city's leading image-makers and their responses to the Big Smoke. From London icons such as SHOWstudio's very own Nick Knight, David Bailey, Mary McCartney, ES Devlin and Jamie Hawkesworth, to the lesser-known (but equally brilliant) likes of James Barnor, Antony Cairns, Hannah Starkey, Nick Turpin and Joy Gregory, London Lives sharpens its focus on the city's evolving identity and the photographers behind the lens who have worked tirelessly to capture it.

'The first thing to say about this show is that it's doomed for failure', Hodgson begins before his brief but insightful curator's tour. 'I'm aware of how obvious it is that any selection like this is unfair and limited so instead of actively choosing who is involved, i've decided to let myself be guided by the city itself and what London is better at than any other city in the world is not just its acceptance but love for multiculturalism. London educates us on all sorts of ways of being, and ways of reacting to each other and this is what the exhibition is about: stimulus as well as character'. Call it a melting-pot if you want, Hodgson is calling it London Lives. 'The more the merrier.' We couldn't have said it better ourselves.

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I Lost My Train of Thought by Colin Dodgson With Belmond

Blending fashion, nature and man's reverie for life in his work, Colin Dodgson is an American photographer notable for his preference for spontaneity and imperfection, both of which are evident in the artist's sublime series of images that make up his upcoming exhibition, I Lost My Train of Thought, in partnership with Belmond. Joining original commissions by over 15 artists, including Chris Rhodes, Coco Capitán and François Halard, Dodgson's work will also provide a visual odyssey inspired by journeys onboard the Andean Explorer and the Eastern & Oriental Express.

Working with a muted and distinctive palette that often evokes the last moments of daylight, there's a child-like wonder permeating each an every photograph of Dodgson's, an aesthetic that lends itself in part to the image-maker's background in surfing. 'From the ages 12 to 20, that was all I thought about', Dodgson is quoted observing in the exhibition's press release, which goes on to connect the sport to Dodgson's own style by noting surfing as 'A practise subject to the vagaries of currents, waves and wind' that ended up 'instilling in him a sense of patience and openness that is evident in his photographic approach'. However you describe Dodgson's work, his warm capturing of intimate moments calls to mind what life is all about, not the lavish trips themselves but the conversations you have on them. 'I don't know if I ever know what I'm trying to say with my work' Dodgson ruminated to press. 'I don't think that's the point of it. It's a beautiful world, get out there and go experience it'. Says it all.

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Lee Miller Archives

Any fan of Lee Miller will know the Lee Miller Archives present at Photo London year in, year out. So what makes this year any different? Well, not much - that's until you find out the gallery's booth will present the highest number of lifetime works by Miller yet to date, including works specifically deaccessioned for sale at Photo London. A big deal, which slots into what's appeared to be an even bigger year for the gallery in 2025, whose participation in Photo London is caught between the recently released movie LEE and the artist's major forthcoming exhibition at Tate Britain in October 2025. Looking to buy a piece of history ahead of Tate's retrospective? Now is your time.

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Amar Gallery To Show Work by Dora Maar and Stephen Shames

Joining the Lee Miller Archives in representing some of the 20th century's finest female surrealist talent is the Amar Gallery, who will be showcasing revolutionary photograms and photographs by the heavenly Dora Maar, (while also dedicating the other half of the gallery's booth to Black Panther party photographer Stephen Shames). Both Maar and Shames fought for equality, often using their art to highlight social issues which not only brings to light each artist's beliefs but also Amar Gallery’s own - a shining example of Photo London exhibitors who aren't just using their space to sell but also to highlight social issues, forefronting messages of revolution, equality and justice.

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Guerin Projects to Present the Work of Robin Hunter Blake

If the 1990s had Nan Goldin then the 2020s has Robin Hunter Blake, who, like Goldin, imbues his work with a gut-punching realness that is hard to find amidst an ever-expansive sea of glossed-over retouched Instagram images. Also like Goldin, Hunter Blake's work tends towards exploring themes of identity, love, and violence, often blurring the lines between these concepts to provoke something deeper, something more 'nuanced' than what is black and white in life. Because of this very reason, Hunter Blake works almost exclusively in black and white photography, stripping human life of its frills to reveal our collective vulnerability beneath.

Viewing the human experience as one big complex, intricate mess, Hunter Blake's photography says as much about him as it does his subjects, thanks to his desire to photograph nuance coming second to none, whatever that looks like, however it appears.

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K-Way Celebrates Their 60th Anniversary at Photo London

To mark K-Way's 60th anniversary this year, Photo London have invited the premium outerwear brand to exhibit their travelling showcaseIn Y/Our Life – The Hidden Side of Everyday Things.

Exploring the poetic side of daily life through art, design, and archives, the exhibition works to reveal the deeper stories behind the objects we often take for granted and is split across three rooms, The Hidden Side of Everyday Objects, Art, Experimentation, and Visionary Creativity and The Other Side of Rain: A Multisensory Exploration. Bringing together a myriad of artists - from the digital world to the photography scene, In Y/Our Life narrates K-Way's archival history as much as it does the poetry of the everyday.

DISCOVERY

Sarabande's House of Bandits Sets Up Camp at Photo London

'This is the electric underbelly of the entire fair, and it's a beast, ' noted the Discovery section's curator Charlotte Jansen in a statement to press, and she's not wrong - her words backed up by one of the first displays of work you see; Sarabande's House of Bandits.

What is London's creative scene without the Sarabande Foundation? Truth is, there isn't one. Or at least, not much of one, which is why we're surprised it's taken the foundation ten years to catch on to Photo London. Alas, better late than never, right? Especially when it means you get to witness the real-life convergence of fantastical supernatural creatures with intimate portraits of London girlhood.

Revelling in the game-changing work of nine exceptionally talented women photographers, including Daisy Collingridge, Michelle Marshall, Almudena Romero, Rachel Fleminger-Hudson and Kasia Wozniak, the foundation uses its inclusion in Photo London to celebrate the breadth and diversity of image-making, supported by the addition of a props case holding prosthetics made by Shirin Fathi and Petite Doll aka Giulia Grillo. All proceeds will go towards supporting the artists and the foundation's mission in championing creatively fearless artists; a quest shared by the fair's Discovery section itself which lends its space to championing work that opposes any kind of traditional norm. Direct your glance at Jesse Glazzard's contradictory portraits that contrasts queer Ukrainian soldiers against a backdrop of patriotism and you'll know what we mean. If Sarabande were to be included in any part of Photo London, it would be the section that 'is intentionally and utterly unafraid. All this work reads as if we no longer have the choice but to confront the political storm that's been brewing the last ten years', notes Jansen. Too right.

POSITIONS

Adam Rouhana

In addition to the Discovery section's emphasis on 'death, violence and conflict' (Jansen's words, not ours) comes a new addition to Photo London titled POSITIONS - an initiative that simply 'aims to extend Photo London’s role as a champion of emerging talent'. Curated by arts patron and founder of the ISelf Collection, Maria Sukkar, this part of the fair isn't necessarily different from any other segment of Photo London other than its narrowed focus on choosing to display artists who lack representation in the art market 'for whatever reason', Sukkar adds. 'Some may have shown with a gallery before but now they're without one', she posits, others are making work deemed too risky by the commercial world. No matter the who, what and why's involved, these are artists whose voices deserve to be heard. 'Our main aim is to spotlight, commerce comes second here', Sukkar tells press.

It's in this section where the work of Palestinian-American artist Adam Rouhana makes a stand thanks to his photography working to deconstruct 'Orientalism' within the broader context of Palestine. What unfolds in his visually arresting body of work is a contemporary narrative that looks at Palestine as a place of beauty rather than a country decimated by war. Through the introduction of new narratives, Rouhana’s work embraces themes of the past to inform what an untouched Palestine could look like today, made-up with the help of stories from his grandmother and memories from his childhood. Rouhana’s photographs may exist in sharp contrast to the current aerial view of Gaza but they represent a Palestine that also exists. There are multiple truths in this world and Rouhana's work illustrates this better than most.