RWA marks season of photography with four concurrent exhibitions

Following its reopening in 2022, the newly refurbished Royal West of England Academy (RWA) has been welcoming visitors through its doors again with a packed programme of exhibitions, courses and workshops.

Launching on January 28, the RWA season of photography will feature four exhibitions running concurrently, as well as a programme of ancillary activities and events.

For visitors, it promises to be a chance to thoroughly explore the transformed space, and to immerse themselves in the art of photography – as seen through the lens of numerous practitioners, all with their own unique visual aesthetic.

External shot of the refurbished RWA – photo: Evan Dawson

Between Work and Window: Photographs of RWA Academicians by Anne-Katrin Purkiss

A project originating from press commissions seeking to represent artists in their working environment has grown organically for over three decades.

They now comprise their own form of social history, documenting the unfolding changes in artistic practices, as well as use of studio spaces.

This selection showcases images of long-standing RWA academicians, as well as an emerging generation.

Sir Frank Bowling (2014) from 2023 RWA exhibition Between Work and Windows – photo: ©Anne-Katrin Purkiss

Alice Hendy: Underexposed

Hendy’s photographs in this collection feature the work and creativity of disabled people attending Bristol Community Links day centres, taking part in portrait photography workshops steered by Olumide Osinoiki.

Jem Southam: A Bend in the River

Acclaimed and Bristol-born artist-photographer Southam has garnered a reputation for capturing changes in the landscapes of his native south west.

This collection depicts in full a series of images taken at dawn and dusk at the same riverbank, through the winter: from subtle movements in the trees and in the water, to the haunting beauty of gathering swans before daybreak.

Selected images from subsequent series’ taken at the same location over the following five years – including The Wintry Heavens, Forty Dawns and The Flooded Pool are also included in the exhibition.

Jem Southam, A bend in the river – photo: © Jem Southam

The RWA Photo Open Exhibition 2023

Celebrating the diversity and artistry of contemporary photography in all its many forms, this works in this exhibition were selected from an open call to artists and photographers both in the UK and abroad.

The selection panel included Sian Bonnell, Amak Mahmoodian, Susan Derges, Judith Jones, Tracy Marshall, and Jem Southam, whose collection also features in the RWA’s season of photography.

All the works displayed will be available to purchase.

Helen Sear, from the series ‘Spirits of a Painted Forest’ (2020) – photo courtesy of the artist and James Hyman Gallery London

Running alongside the exhibitions, PhotoLab on the lower ground floor is designed to offer something for photography enthusiasts of all ages.

From self-led creative activities and a darkroom installation, for camera phone users there is also a lightbox that can be utilised to take shots that are subsequently shown on a digital screen.

All exhibitions in the season of photography open at RWA on January 28, and run 10am-5pm Tuesday-Sunday, with late opening until 7pm on Wednesday.

Between Work and Window: Photographs of RWA Academicians by Anne-Katrin Purkiss runs until March 12 at the Kenny Gallery. Admission is free.

Alice Hendy: Underexposed runs until April 23 at the History Gallery. Admission is free.

Photolab runs until April 23 in the Family Learning Space and the History Gallery. All activities are free.

Jem Southam: A Bend in the River runs until May 1, in parallel with the Photo Open (ticket includes entry to both exhibitions).

The RWA Photo Open Exhibition 2023 runs until May 1.

For more information about all upcoming events at RWA, go to www.rwa.org.uk.

Main photo: Jem Southam, A bend In The River – photo: © Jem Southam

Read more: International contemporary photography exhibition to open at the Royal Photographic Society

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