Alice Forde, Emma Spreadborough, Jean Chan, Katie Nia, Mareah Ali, Megan Morgan, Robin Chaddah-Duke, Shannon Maggie, Shaun Lowde, Viv Collis, Ffion Denman, Jack Moyse, Kaylee Francis, Tracy Harris
© Emma Spreadborough
Exhibition Preview: Thursday 23 November, 6 - 9pm
Ffocws is part of Ffotogallery’s mission to support emerging and early career artists in Wales who challenge the process, medium and application of photography. For this year’s selection we surveyed recent graduates across the country as well as aspiring artists through an open call in collaboration with Cardiff MADE (Higgins Initiative in Ffocws).
The exhibition brings together the work of fourteen talented artists touching on diverse themes ranging from identity, family, migration and disability to AI and community art practice. The wide-ranging individual perspectives on show remind us of the creative opportunities photography offers for human connection in our unpredictable and changing world.
This exhibition would not have been possible without the generosity of our supporters in particular Swansea College of Art (UWTSD), Cardiff Metropolitan University, University of South Wales, Carmarthen School of Art at Coleg Sir Gâr, Cardiff and Vale College, the Higgins family and Arts Council Wales.
-
Alice Forde
Ambiguity is a focus in my creative vision. I find a playfulness in making my photography a question and not a statement. Fashion is the catalyst which allows me to do this whilst exploring culture, human relations and their behaviour in my vibrant and visually experimental photographic work. Having just graduated from BA Photography at the University of South Wales I look forward to gaining more experience in editorial fashion photography particularly focusing on publications and creating physical bodies of work.
Emma Spreadborough
Emma Spreadborough (b.2000) is an Irish artist who works predominantly in the photographic media. Her art practice is widely influenced by Irish literature, history, and folklore. Emma is a recent graduate of Swansea College of Art, where she studied from 2020-23. Since completing her degree, she moved back to Belfast to continue her practice. She is currently a studio owner at Flax Art Studios, within the Emerging Artists Programme.
Jean Chan
As a photographer, I love and lean towards Fashion and Art Photography. Throughout my years in university, I gained a heavy interest in Narrative Photography and Cinematography and now tend to mix these genres in subsequent projects that I take on. Through 'Burnout’ I wish to speak to the viewer and communicate a mixture of the senses of sorrow and serenity. For them to find relatability in these visions and solace as they look on.
Katie Nia
Katie Nia is a Photographic Artist based in South Wales, with an intrigue for history. Nia discovered a fascination with not only the development of photography to what we know it as today, but also with the analogue processes that had contributed to getting us there. She now uses her work to experiment and explore the photographic styles and processes from as early as the 1800’s to combine both the future with the past, giving life to some of the forgotten practices. Nia takes inspiration from psychological events both conscious and subconscious and explores their links within her own life both past and present. Nia uses her work to capture significance and meaning through the inspiration of Walter Benjamin’s concept of ‘aura’ as well as Jacques Derrida and his concept of hauntology, exploring their impact in not only her own life but also with those around her.
Mareah Ali
Mareah Ali is a Welsh photographer who was born profoundly deaf. She recently graduated from the University of South Wales in Cardiff with a First-Class Honours degree in Photography. She found photography as a means of self-expression, in particular around the issues of deafness. After graduating, her work was exhibited at the StudioMADE gallery in Denbigh, North Wales.
Mareah has also connected and worked as a photographer with deaf and hearing creative practitioners, including the artist Johnny Cotsen and Taking Flight Theatre Company. She has also worked with the Sir Gareth Edwards Cancer Charity.
Megan Morgan
Megan Morgan is a Pembrokeshire, Wales base digital photographer. Graduated from Carmarthen college school of art in BA multidisciplinary photography and 3d design. Megan’s interests are in animal photography using her love of animals to drive her in creativity. She is fascinated by the connection that humans and animals have with one another, and just how important that connection can be. Using a lens to capture the beautiful animals of the world. From working at folly farm her photography is diverse, from kittens to tigers no animal is left out.
Robin Chaddah-Duke
Robin Chaddah-Duke is a photographer and filmmaker who works with a grassroots documentary approach. His work revolves around exploring the experiences of marginalised and minority communities within Britain. Their work is grounded in historical contexts and aims to inspect how notions of Britishness are changing.
Shannon Maggie
Shannon Maggie is an inquisitive, mixed-media artist and photographer based in Pembrokeshire, South-West Wales. Shannon Maggie’s practice explores cultural issues surrounding history, identity, and societal norms. Her practice is process-driven as she explores new ways of communicating philosophies concerning the human experience. Maggie is a workshop facilitator who encourages participants to embrace the imperfections within their imagery to foster new narratives. Collaboration with the community is at the heart of Maggie’s practice. She hopes to encourage others to push their creative boundaries through the medium of photography.
Shaun Lowde
Following a career as a lawyer to international media and entertainment clients, Shaun Lowde has recently ‘repurposed’ himself and is now pursuing a new direction as a photographer and digital content artist based in West Wales.
Shaun's practice has evolved into an exploration of digital content as a means of communicating the conceptual. He uses a range of digital and photographic processes to comment upon contemporary philosophical, environmental and sociological concerns.
Viv Collis
Viv Collis lives and works in Southwest Wales. After a significant career working as a Youth & Community Worker, she went on to study BA Photojournalism & Visual Activism, then MA Contemporary Dialogues at Swansea College of Art. Viv’s extensive community involvement influences her work, and her art practice focuses on social documentary, exploring those under-represented, those mis-represented, and diverse community groups. Her projects start with in-depth research of archival and contemporary materials, often initiated by a current political issue, and develop through a critical involvement with the subject via networking, interviews and personal and participatory engagement. The work is entwined with a political narrative, designed to both inform and challenge the viewer, taking the form of conceptual, multi-platform storytelling.
Ffion Denman
Ffion Denman is a photographer and educator currently living in Cardiff.
"My body of work opens up complex conversations on cultural displacement and the values of Welsh identity in Patagonia. The work in progress, goes beyond a romanticised notion of my Patagonia from my childhood imagination and invites onlookers to consider a more nuanced and intricate story; which includes the question of what happens when a dominant culture overshadows a minor, and more vulnerable one."
Jack Moyse
Jack Moyse is a photographer and artist based in Swansea, South Wales. His practice focuses on societal issues such as the demonisation of migrants, ableism, and mental health. Jack has been invited to speak at a number of colleges, universities, photo festivals and symposia, including University of South Wales, University of Wales Trinity St David Swansea, Carmarthen School of Art and the Trauma Porn Symposium in Bristol (supported by Bristol Photography Research Group). In April this year he was also invited to exhibit at and contribute to the Healing Through Photography conference at Belfast Exposed.
Kaylee Francis
As a Documentary photographer Kaylee is interested in exploring issues relating to the representation and misrepresentation of lower socio-economic communities. Her work considers the possibilities of using photography and activism for agency and social change.
Tracy Harris
Tracy is an Artist, Writer, Theatre and film-maker based in Cardiff.