Many master's pieces

Photojournalism exhibition at LCC showcases new talent

End of year exhibitions by post-graduate students can be unpredictably irregular, and quite often end up being a mish-mash of discordant and incompatible concepts. But opt for an exhibition of work by a photojournalist, and you’ll see a big difference. Walking through one of these shows is like flicking through the pages of a newspaper: a different issue jumps out at you every breath you take. The difference is that in a gallery the issues are explored in greater depth.

Over the coming month, “Photojournalism’s Master’s Show”, on display at the LCC (London College of Communication), will present documentary work produced by 25 graduates. In the gallery (much like in a newspaper) Nigeria clashes with Kiev. Photos of Yorubá religious rites are placed in contrast against the harsh urban landscapes of Russia, without any awkward discrepancy.

Luiz Santos, a London-based Brasilian photographer, will present 22 black and white photos taken during the “Festival of Oxum” – a celebration of the goddess of fertility – which takes place in August in the city of Oyo in Nigeria. “The festival has a dramatic participatory element. In this sense it’s extremely sophisticated, but life in Nigeria is still very precarious”, explains Santos.

This latest work, due to be published as a book, develops themes already explored by the photographer, such as Candomblé in Brasil. Last year, he took a series of photos of offerings to Iemanjá. “The Festival of Oxum went deeper still. I went in search of the roots of Brasil’s African-based religions”. JD

Many master's pieces

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