GALLERY
Our exhibitions.
Photography versus Thatcher: The Photo Co-op Archive, prints and objects, 1979 to 1986 - Photofusion’s origin story
Photography versus Thatcher: The Photo Co-op Archive prints and objects, 1979 to 1986 - Photofusion’s origin story
Photography versus Thatcher: The Photo Co-op Archive, prints and objects, 1979 to 1986 – Photofusion’s origin story tells the story of the early years of the Photo Co-op, the founding organisation which later grew into Photofusion.
This exhibition features vintage items contributed by the participating photographers from their archives that now form the Photo Co-op Archive at the Martin Parr Foundation in Bristol. Curated by Chris Boot, and in collaboration with the Martin Parr Foundation, Photography versus Thatcher: The Photo Co-op Archive, prints and objects, 1979 to 1986 – Photofusion’s origin story features photographs by Janis Austin, Corry Bevington, Luis Bustamante, Gina Glover, Crispin Hughes, Sarah Saunders, Vicky White, and Sarah Wyld. These include a wide selection of original library photographs used to promote social causes, with objects and documents from the time, and examples of laminated panels from campaign exhibitions.
Seen together for the first time, these archival artefacts reveal the ‘world view’ the Photo Co-op created in photographs – a style of advocacy for progressive causes and, in particular, for the solidarity of women, made for and with the community.
For the first time, Photofusion is collaborating with the Martin Parr Foundation in Bristol. Both organisations work towards supporting emerging and established photographers and strive to make photography engaging and accessible for all.
Dates: 15th November 2024 to 4th January 2025
From George to Gaza: A Retrospective. Wayne Campbell.
From George to Gaza: A Retrospective
Gotcha - © Wayne Campbell
Renowned photographer Wayne Campbell is exhibiting From George to Gaza: A Retrospective. at Photofusion, just after the launch of his new book 0710 Year One.
From George to Gaza: A Retrospective. showcases his powerful journey into visual activism. Growing up in Brixton, Southwest London, with roots in Uganda and Jamaica, Wayne's work has always been a reflection of his environment. The streets of Brixton in the 1970s, marked by resistance and solidarity, shaped his lens, driving a deeper understanding of creativity and activism within him.
A pivotal moment in 2020 transformed Wayne's creative expression. The murder of George Floyd ignited a passion for visual activism, awakening a new direction in his photography. Since then, Wayne has been at the forefront, capturing the raw emotions of demonstrations for justice—from COVID-19 and Freedom Rallies to protests for Palestine.
The exhibition serves as a retrospective of his work across the past four years, while the book, 0710 Year One, provides an intimate look at the energy, emotions and unity of pro-Palestinian demonstrations in London. The exhibition is a celebration of the power of protest and the ongoing fight for justice.
Wayne Campbell describes himself as a passionate visual activist, who infuses creativity, time and activism into all aspects of his work. Throughout his career, he has grown in various fields such as photography, filmmaking, and illustration, drawing inspiration from his environment, emotions, and experiences. Wayne is excited about the next phase of his career and eager to take on new challenges and opportunities.
DATES:
Friday 18th October - Saturday 2nd November 2024
Encounters - Gallery 2
Encounters
© Lucy Bruce-Gardner and The1Harris
In partnership with main contractor Bryen & Langley Ltd, Photofusion commissioned two emerging photographic talents, Lucy Bruce-Gardner and The1Harris, to document the revitalisation of the Brixton Rec Quarter which Bryen & Langley Ltd delivered on behalf of the London Borough of Lambeth.
The project was funded by the London Borough of Lambeth and £2.17m from the Mayor of London’s Good Growth Fund.
The Rec is a new series of portraits from photographer Lucy Bruce-Gardner, made during conversations with local store owners, shoppers and people visiting Brixton Station Road Market. Her portrait "Erica" was short-listed for The Portrait of Britain Prize 2023 by the British Journal of Photography.
Rubble & Dust is a body of work from The1Harris, which captures quotidian sights of spaces, tools and workers during the construction of Photofusion and The Advocacy Academy’s new home.
Harris documented the work carried out by Bryen & Langley’s team as they spent 12 months transforming the disused storage space in the Brixton Recreation Centre into a new home for vital local charities Photofusion and The Advocacy Academy, further embedding these organisations into the Brixton landscape. This project sees a departure from Harris’ primary people-focused discipline, tackling social issues, such as recent work ‘Unseen/Unmasked’ which saw a 1 month residency at the heart of east London in Shoreditch, or his upcoming publication ‘Tethering Presence’ in partnership with award winning designer Micah Purnell & x Adobe Collab x.
The Nature of Change; A Lambeth Adult Learning Showcase
The Nature of Change; A Lambeth Adult Learning Showcase
Step into a vibrant world of creativity with our summer showcase at Photofusion, a joint exhibition in collaboration with our partners 198 Contemporary Arts & Learning. The Nature Of Change exhibition is split across both venues and Photofusion is thrilled to present a curated collection of the photographic artworks by the talented individuals who have journeyed through our Lambeth Adult Learning STEP-UP programme.
Collating lens-based work from our Beginner, Advanced, and LGBTQ+ photography courses, the exhibition embodies the diverse talents sparked, nurtured and flourishing within our local Lambeth community and beyond.
Since 2019, the Lambeth Adult Learning programme has empowered over 300 learners to explore and excel in various creative disciplines. Each ten-week course, run three times a year in each location, features practical workshops and mentoring, which help participants to develop new skills, connect with peers, and introduces them to industry professionals in preparation for a career in the arts. In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, our commitment to fostering artistic growth has only strengthened, culminating in this celebratory showcase of all our past participants' achievements.
Join us as we shine a spotlight on the creative journeys of our alumni, whose contributions enrich and inspire. Through their lens, crafts, collages, sculpture and expressions, they invite you to witness the power of creativity to transcend boundaries and ignite imagination.
The Photography showcase at Photofusion highlights the work of learners including; Anna Vercambre, Acacia Diana, Dee Ramadan, Devanshi Asher, Ellie Laycock, Emily Lucienne, Evelyn Zheng Yan-chi, Felix Pilgrim, Gabriella Okoobo, Isis Boundy, Jack Moss, Jack Tennant, Janet Rich, Jaqueline Alves, Josie Kyan, Katie Allen, Laurie Favarato, Laura Graham, Meg Tall, Mez Kerr Jones, moreiya, Nathalia Advria Jade, Nina Maria, Oluwatosin Daniju, Oscar McQuillan-Byrne, Pedro Younis, Rachel Wegh, Robert Weir, Rose Claxton, Sarah Grice, Selene Heath, Shameela Beeloo, Shannon Osborne, and The1Harris.
This exhibition is curated by: Destinie Paige
DATES:
8th August - 28th September 2024 (Photofusion) Extended dates
9th August - 19th September 2024 (198 Contemporary Arts and Learning)
© Steff Jamieson & Scarlet Yates
Reconstructed Nature: The Collaborative Process - by Luke & Nik
Reconstructed Nature: The Collaborative Process
Luke & Nik
© The1Harris
Presenting a collection of new and unseen photography works, 𝙍𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙪𝙘𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙉𝙖𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚: 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝘾𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙋𝙧𝙤𝙘𝙚𝙨𝙨 celebrates years of synergy and exchange between Luke & Nik. Venturing into their respective landscapes in Denmark and the UK, they comb, gather, reflect, and ramble. Picture by picture, piece by piece, they continue to evolve and reinterpret nature as a duo, progressing in ever-new ways
Curated by Jessica Wan
Poster design by Tom Booth Woodger
Press:
Please find the press release here
Alongside the exhibition Luke & Nik hosted two workshops where participants created and deconstructed images, by finding inspiration in the nature around them.
© D. Wiafe
SALON/24
This exhibition showcases the work of our growing community of creative members, with this year holding the work of 86 Photofusion members!
Off-site Gallery - The Lightbox Exhibitions with Rosalind Hobley
The Lightbox Exhibitions with Rosalind Hobley
© Rosalind Hobley
We are delighted to be partnering with Lambeth Council in curating and delivering The Lightbox Exhibitions for the next two years. The exhibitions will bring a rich atmosphere and artistic expression to the area and are intended to inspire, provoke and stimulate conversation through the photography on display. This first exhibition (March 24 - September 2024) is by photographer, Rosalind Hobley.
Rosalind Hobley is a London based artist working with the early photographic process of Cyanotype, where watercolour paper is coated with chemicals and exposed with a large format negative. The resulting prints are a characteristic blue colour.
Rosalind received a BA Hons in Fine Art Sculpture from Maidstone College of Art and went on to be the recipient of the Create Church St Grant; LCN Scholarship; awarded first place in the Alternative Processes Series of the 16th Julia Margaret Cameron Award, and an Honourable Mention in the Portrait Series.
Her 'Swimmer' series are about the pleasure and freedom of being in the water. She is a keen swimmer herself and passionate about promoting the accessibility of swimming for all. Her work has featured in many publications, as well as the RA Summer Exhibitions and juried shows at the Turner Contemporary and Hastings Contemporary Galleries and others.
This project includes work made at this site (Brixton Rec), and she says ‘I particularly enjoyed making an artwork that includes Brixton Rec as I used to swim here about 30 years ago. It was lovely to work here with local swimmers and lifeguards. I really appreciate the support of Photofusion, Lambeth Council and the team at the Recreation Centre for all their help and input.
For further information on Rosalind Hobley and to find out how these prints were made (as well as the opportunity to buy limited edition prints of these swimmers), visit the website: https://www.rosalindhobley.com/swimmers.
NOTE: The Lightbox exhibitions are a collaboration between Lambeth Council and Photofusion. The installation of the lightboxes has been funded by the Revitalising Brixton’s Rec Quarter project, which has invested in creating new workspace in the Rec, renovating the Rec’s existing shop units with lit signage and double-glazed shopfronts, and revitalising the public facing areas of the Rec and concourse with new lighting and the restoration of original signage. The Revitalising Brixton’s Rec Quarter project received £2.17m from the Mayor of London’s Good Growth Fund which was matched by Lambeth Council and Stride. The ongoing management of Lightbox exhibitions has been funded for two years by the project, Active Lambeth and Photofusion from March 2024 – March 2026.
Through The Lens: Lambeth Adult Learning Showcase
Through The Lens: Lambeth Adult Learning Showcase
Photofusion and 198 Contemporary Arts and Learning have been partnering to deliver courses through Lambeth Adult Learning (LAL) since 2019. After the Covid-19 pandemic the program has grown exponentially, seeing more than 300 learners complete our courses in Photography, Film & Video, and Art & Design. Each ten-week course allows participants to take part in practical workshops and mentoring. Our students develop new skills while networking with their peers as well as with industry professionals, to prepare them for employment in the arts.
In this showcase we are presenting the work of learners; Acacia Diana, Charles Furness, Ellie Laycock, Frances Gillard, Isis Boundy, Jack Tennant, Janet Rich, Josie Kyan, Meg Tall, Oscar McQuillan Byrne, Panama Diaz, Pedro Younis, and Robert Weir.
We are dedicated to providing educational opportunities for the residents of Lambeth to improve their wellbeing and hope to see our program continue to grow. These learning programmes are funded by the Greater London Authority (GLA) and quality-assured by Lambeth Council’s Adult Learning Service.
We would like the acknowledge and thank our course tutors including Derek Wiafe, Faye Munroe, Kareen Williams, Michael McLeod, Shannon Osborne and Paul Ellis.
If you are interested in learning more about these courses, please send an email to thefactoryproductionhouse@photofusion.org.
Curated by: Kate Watson and Francesca Hummler
Select / 23
Photofusion proudly presents Select/23. This group exhibition features the work of five artists – Paul Graville, Viktorija Pociute Kunigelyte, Ryan Prince, Ann Russell and Angus Stewart – who were selected from the artists exhibiting in Photofusion’s Salon/23 to present their projects more fully.
Maria Ahmed
Photofusion presents the first solo exhibition by artist Maria Ahmed. Slips & Burns is the latest body of work by Ahmed and reflects her unique style of curating and obscuring photographs from their original form.
SALON/22
We are pleased to present this year’s Photofusion Annual Members Show, SALON/22. This exhibition showcases the work of our growing community of creative members, whose work will cover the gallery walls from floor to ceiling. There are no categories or themes for this show. The aim of SALON is to showcase the breadth of creative practices within our membership and highlight individual images that are powerful enough to stand alone in representation of a captivating story or concept.
J A Mortram
It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
The Thin Line
It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
Melanie King
Melanie King | Precious Metals
Photofusion presents Precious Metals, a solo exhibition by artist Melanie King. This exhibition investigates the materiality of silver and palladium, considering its’ production within the cosmos, extraction from Earth and its uses within our society.
It focuses on the use of silver and palladium in photography, suggesting methods of using the materials that are less harmful to our environment. It includes the reclamation of silver from used photographic fixative and jewellery produced using recycled eco-silver. It includes daguerreotypes and platinum-palladium prints of nebulae and supernova explosions, highlighting the cosmic origin of these rare elements.
The exhibition will run from 17th June – 30th July 2022.
PRINTS FOR SALE
Melanie King, Ancient Light, Emiliano Cardone Observatory, 2018
To enquire about payment please email info@photofusion.org
Sian Bonnell
Sian Bonnell | Ten Seconds
Photofusion presents Ten Seconds, a solo exhibition by British photographer Sian Bonnell. Much of the work was created during a short residency at Photofusion Gallery in early 2022. This exhibition will invite you into the unique process of Bonnell’s photographic practice and will also include an earlier series, made at the British School in Rome. Bonnell works with available objects and spaces, challenging our ideas around the nature of art and its subject-matter.
“I see my camera as my partner in crime – my provocateur; it dares me to do things. In this way it becomes a magical agent. Point a camera at any child, they will play up, show off, pull faces and adults will pose. All of this is performance, the camera demands it – and we are complicit.
In March this year, I was given a two-day residency to make some pictures in the gallery space at Photofusion. Previously, the last work I had made on a different residency in Rome in 2017, was a set of experimental works opting to work only with what was ‘at hand’. Using the mops and brooms lying around the place and cardboard boxes rescued from the rubbish, objects that were worth nothing in themselves. I found I had been testing the Serious Play of John Cage – both in work and method, particularly in the towel and sheet throwing piece which was a direct link to Marcel Duchamp’s Dada artwork 3 Standard Stoppages that he made in 1913.
This time, the main driver for my Photofusion work was the ten-second timer that I set to make these pictures, each performance lasting for as long as the camera shutter remained open. I made impromptu sculptures out of the strange and assorted objects and equipment left lying around in the gallery corridors behind the scenes while the gallery space was changing prior to the next show. I became intrigued with this idea of time, speed, and balance – quite literally catching moments. What interested me most, were the instants and movements a little bit off or a little bit out, implying impending disaster or complete failure, fractions of seconds before occurring.” – Sian Bonnell.
Curated by Katy Barron.
PRINTS FOR SALE
Sian Bonnell, Ten Seconds #1, 2022
Photofusion presents our special editioned prints from a selection of artists who have exhibited with us. The print sales contribute towards the artists and Photofusion gallery, contributing towards the upkeep and running of our art gallery.
Sian Bonnell, Ten Seconds, #1, 2022
Pigment print, Editio of 10 + 2 AP’s, accompanied by signed certificate, £240 (unframed)
To enquire about payment please email info@photofusion.org
5/10 sold
Tamsin Green
Photofusion presents Scale & Substance, the first solo exhibition by artist and architect Tamsin Green. Using fieldwork, she investigates the underlying systems and language that we use to make sense of the landscape.
Curated by Destinie Paige
Photofusion presents BLK BXY JOY, a collaborative exhibition by a young generation of POC artists who are redefining the picture of the Black experience. The exhibition has been curated by Destinie Paige, a London based filmmaker, photographer and set designer, who has been a long-term mentee in Photofusion's mentoring programme (#madeatpf) and youth collective S2AU.
SELECT/21
This year’s Select/21 includes work by seven exhibitors who were chosen from Salon 2019 and Salon 2021. Much of the work that they are showing here is a development of earlier work and has been made with the support of Photofusion. Each of these artists has extended their practice, pushing technical, personal or conceptual boundaries and moving forward, despite the difficulties that they might have encountered over the last 18 months.
Roelof Bakker
The Spots That Never Went by Roelof Bakker, is a personal reflection on the devastation of the AIDS pandemic in 1980s-90s London, and the lasting impact on a generation. Originally an artist’s book in which abstract images face short sentences such as “I remember a time when the police raided bars and clubs wearing decontamination suits and gloves,” the work has now evolved into a larger exhibition.
Mitchell Moreno
Photofusion presents the first UK exhibition of BODY COPY, a photo-text series by Mitchell Moreno exploring the performance of masculinities through the discourse of online dating.
SALON/21
SALON/21 is our annual member's show at Photofusion and to celebrate our 30th anniversary, we've decided to make it extra special this year. We've got Emma Bowkett and Zelda Cheatle as our selectors, as well as, Gina Glover and Geof Rayner selecting the winners of the first Glover Rayner prize. The last year has been difficult for us all in so many different ways but we want to put that past us, celebrate our members and the work made throughout the pandemic.
Lambeth Townhall Arts Programme
Lambeth’s Town Hall Arts Programme and Photofusion are pleased to announce the opening of Spectemur Agendo – By Our Actions May We Be Known.
Eddie Otchere
Photofusion is delighted to present a solo exhibition by Eddie Otchere. Hauntology is the culmination of a four-year exploration of the rural idylls of the UK This unlikely confluence –a well known London based Hip Hop photographer with a predilection for rambling – has resulted in work that is utterly unique in its approach.
SIXTEEN x S2AU
Sixteen is an age of transition. It’s a time of increasing peer pressure, risk taking, and anxiety about social and personal worth. It can be turbulent and challenging for adolescents on the cusp of adulthood as they try to find their place in a society that often seems oblivious of their concerns.
SALON/19
We are pleased to present this year’s Photofusion Annual Members Show - SALON/19. This exhibition showcases the work of our growing community of creative members, whose work will cover the gallery walls from floor to ceiling. There are no categories or themes for this show. The aim of SALON is to showcase the breadth of creative practices within our membership and highlight individual images that are powerful enough to stand alone in representation of a captivating story or concept.
Nilupa Yasmin
One of the prominent ways to bring people together is the local market. Community life is something that is both cherished and celebrated, market life can be the heart of a town. This project celebrates the union of people who attend the markets as well as those who make their livelihood from them.
Neil Kenlock
Please join us for this timely and important exhibition of the prolific, Jamaican- born Windrush photographer Neil Kenlock. Hosted over two Brixton locations, Photofusion and 198 Contemporary Arts and Learning, Lost Legacies of the British Black Panthers showcases photographs that evidence the struggles of the Windrush Generation as told through the photography of Neil Kenlock.
Chris Steele-Perkins
L A Noble Gallery in partnership with Photofusion are proud to present IN BRIXTON by Chris Steele-Perkins.
Chris Leslie and Arpita Shah
This exhibition is part of an exciting exchange programme between Photofusion and Streetlevel Photoworks in Glasgow. The collaboration sees two artists from Glasgow exhibit in Photofusion’s space, whilst two of our London artists’ work is featured in Streetlevel’s Trongate space. We are excited to work together and consider the connections and parallels between our two cities.
SALON/18
We are pleased to present this year’s Members’ photography exhibition, Photofusion SALON/18. This exhibition will showcase the work of artists, whose photographic work will cover the gallery walls from floor to ceiling.
Katie Bret Day, Aletheia Casey, Tom Pope & Sue Ridge
Our next exhibition, ‘Interventions & Interruptions’ will open on September 26th. This exhibition will feature the work of four artists whose divergent individual practices, ranging from documentary photography to book-making, installation and still life, are all highly experimental.
Submissions.
The Photofusion gallery is run by committee which meets regularly to discuss proposals and programme upcoming shows. The panel are looking for proposals or rentals that meet Photofusion’s gallery manifesto, and are in line with our organisational values.
You can also hire our public gallery spaces, for more information please see our hires page.
Just email us to get in touch.
HOW TO MAKE A GALLERY SUBMISSION
Submissions should contain an artist bio, a statement about the work with accompanying images and why you would like to exhibit at Photofusion.
Please also note that we encourage artists to send us submissions for funded projects, projects around Brixton and its history or work that has been created within our space.