DEGREE SHOW 2023
Sidrah Afzal, Gianluca Barbazza, Robert Bogdan-Roth, Alfie Bungay, Georgia Collis, Anna Conquest, Zoltan Dobos, Lily Doidge, Atilla Glück, Hannah Hornby, Cristina Filimon, Nina Ijomone, Amy Johnson, Kasia Kowalska, Therry Maltauro, Ruby Norris, Lakruwan Rajapaksha, Károly Rucska, Oleg Savca, Kaitlyn Shaw, Loren Taylor, Thomas Wells
The London Metropolitan BA Photography Class of 2023 photographers have already accumulated an array of industry accomplishments; amongst them, a Hahnemühle Student Awards 2023 finalist, exhibited at Photo London, an Association of Photographers Student Awards 2021 and 2022 finalist, an EIZO Student Awards 2022 finalist, and a British Journal of Photography’s Portrait of Britain Vol. 5 winner, they have self-published their own magazine, had their work recently published in Pretence Magazine, Landscape Stories, Street Photography, work on commercial commissions and assisting jobs in fashion, advertising, music, and film industries, for brands including Sony Music, UK TV, Dior, Calvin Klein, landed a dream commission to be an official band photographer at Glastonbury, and we are not allowed to release information about a prestigious award shortlists that will be announced soon yet - and there are few! As bias as we may be in our belief in these photographers, this is undeniably a fantastically strong cohort of talent.
In their Degree Show 2023, this international cohort explores a wide range of genres and photographic styles, offering a captivating glimpse into their individual passions and perspectives articulated through contemporary photography’s expanded scope; from analogue and digital processes to moving image and sound, to installation and artist books.
The exhibited work reflects the photographers’ deep commitment to addressing issues that resonate with the contemporary world. Some artists engage with the environment and the planet using their lenses to focus on the state of fragile ecosystems, climate change, and the urgent need for sustainability. Others delve into the realm of feminism, capturing the strength, resilience, and diversity of women's experience; challenging societal norms and reclaiming narratives and mythical archetypes, intricacies of identity, fashion, representations of body, migration, memory, music and the very nature of a photographic image creation. The landscapes they explore encompass both the vastness of nature's majesty and the intimate spaces within our urban environments, providing a contemplation of our connection to the world around us. The Degree Show marks a significant milestone for these graduates, as they prepare to enter the international art world and make their mark on the photography industry.
At the heart of its philosophy, London Metropolitan University’s BA Photography course sets out to nurture and celebrate the rich diversity of photographic talent, supporting distinct creative visions and the individual storytelling of its students. We invite you to join us, to celebrate their work, as they graduate from our university and embark on their journeys hoping to challenge, inspire, and expand our understanding of the world and the transformative power of photography today.
Exhibition Open: 21 June – 1 July 2023
MON – FRI 10 AM – 7PM
SAT – SUN 11 AM – 6PM
PV: 20th June, 2023, 6 – 9 PM - Free PV registration HERE
VIP Breakfast: 22nd June, 9.30 – 11.30 AM - VIP Breakfast RSVP HERE
1st Floor, Annex Building
London Metropolitan University
Old Castle Street
London E1 7NT
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Sidrah Afzal
I would like to offer an alternative perspective where the images I create are not heavily retouched and display the subjects in a more raw and authentic form.
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Gianluca Barbazza
Immigration, housing issues, loneliness, and dreams are elements I try to emphasise in my project, showing personal stories of individuals who are struggling to achieve their ambitions.
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Robert Bogdan-Roth
Time Revolving Through Fashion , 2023
Because fashion photography will never have an obituary, and we are giving birth to new faces revealing the manifest of life captured in time, I shall number myself amongst the rest of the photographers that pursue the passion of creating stills that display the liveness of fashion.
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Alfie Bungay
Over the years I’ve captured many incredible musicians, on and off stage, and created the project “Green Room’. This collection of portraits and live images showcases these artists’ personalities, unique styles, and intimate emotions during their performances.
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Georgia Collis
Rock and Indie Music in 2022, 2023
The photos capture everything from the crowd to the bands themselves whilst her central music video ties in the moving visual elements of music that are more meticulously planned than the images of pure spontaneity that take place at those very same live events.
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Anna Conquest
Exploring a predominantly second wave feminist subject matter through a contemporary lens, ‘Food for Thought’ is an ongoing body of work based off archival sources that explores the imbalances and misogynistic intertwinement of womanhood and domesticity through self-objectification.
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Zoltan Dobos
In the Wake of the Longest Day, 2023
A soldier's story inspired me to follow his D-Day landings journey and photograph the places he had seen during Operation ‘Overlord’ in the summer of 1944.
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Lily Doidge
Another Female Fronted Band, 2023
My project is a statement on how girls should have girl bands to look up to. I have collaged my images into a bedroom, showing what it would look like if women were equally represented in music.
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Atilla Glück
Seal a space completely, and it becomes dark inside. Then, break the continuum on one side, allowing just enough light to pass through. This process can produce an image, whether it’s through a magic lantern, a camera obscura, or a pinhole camera.
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Hannah Hornby
Unbeknownst to the general public, large areas across the globe will be submerged below the tideline by 2030. A small community of beekeepers in Southern England are embarking on a mission to document these areas before their foretold disappearance below the waves, to create a record for future generations.
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Cristina Filimon
This project is a visual narrative on themes of memory and the transient nature of human condition. I explore the aesthetic appeal and metaphorical complexity of the ruins of post-industrial communist architecture in Romania.
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Nina Ijomone
This work is a dialogue between my past and present selves. Through it, I explore how time can alter our memories and emotions, shielding us from unpleasant experiences whilst depriving us of the beauty we once cherished or evoking it.
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Amy Johnson
Furry Faces is a photo series dedicated to capturing the unique personalities and faces of our pets.
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Kasia Kowalska
Inspired by the myths of Central Europe, my project reflects an internal dialogue between my Polish Catholic upbringing and an interest in Nature, folklore, and the divine feminine.
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Therry Maltauro
In this work, I explore the world of bodybuilding; power, aesthetics, the motivation, and aspirations of individuals who push their bodies to physical limits in the pursuit of “perfection”, as well as the emotional and psychological factors that drive them, including their need for recognition.
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Ruby Norris
The series depicts portraits taken of strangers capturing the true, magnetic atmosphere of being in a safe space for queer people and seeing them so evidently true to themselves.
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Lakruwan Rajapaksha
Blue Tail Bee Eaters Dream, 2023
Using experimental techniques, my landscape photography seeks to challenge my own preconceived notions about nature and life itself. I aim to create landscapes that awaken a sense of the sublime and evoke a sense of Unheimlich.
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Oleg Savca
Oleg Savca's project was created to show the beauty and grace of the female body through of five abstract photos that emphasise the aesthetics of the bodyline.
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Kaitlyn Shaw
Just a filter coffee please, 2023
Images can look simple to the eye but what did it take to get there? Using homemade Caffenol developer, made with coffee similar to that found in the cafe, it shows that with photography anything is possible and there is no limit to image making.
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Loren Taylor
The project explores the ways in which my hometown, Lincoln, has transformed over the past decade, and how the major re-developments that took place have changed the look and feel of the city.
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Thomas Wells
The beauty of melancholy, and the tension between a man and his own mind, through found moments and landscapes throughout London. The beautiful, the tragic, with an ever-present awareness of the sanctity of life, and ceaselessly suggestive of its disquieting truths.
Credits :
Exhibition Curation: Ania Dabrowska, James Russell Cant
Exhibition Installation Supervision: David George
Exhibition Installation: BA Photography students
Production Coordination: Cristina Filimon, Kasia Kowalska, Nina Ijomone, Therry Maltauro
Catalogue: Therry Maltauro, Ruby Norris
Graphic Design: Ruby Norris
Instagram: Sidrah Afzal, Georgia Collis
Installation Shots and BTS: Gianluca Barbazza, Lakruwan Rajapaksha
Marketing: Anna Conquest, Lily Doidge, Loren Taylor
Modelling Design: Zoltan Dobos, Cristina Filimon, Nina Ijomone, Kasia Kowalska, Therry Maltauro, Oleg Savca
VIP Breakfast Event: Hannah Hornby, Nina Ijomone, Kaitlyn Shaw
Website Design: Cristina Filimon, Amy Johnson
www.ldnmetarts.photography/
@photo_ldnmetarts
Catalogue printed with the support of Lucid Imaging
Many thanks to the Technicians Team:
Naomi Groves
Sebastian Edge
Samantha Johnston
Lisa Rigolli