From July 01, 2021 to August 31, 2021
I have spent the last fifteen years capturing the lives of shepherds in the historical region of Transylvania in Central Romania. I am interested in the singular shepherd's lives and destinies, both in the plains and in the Carpathians Mountains.
The region of Transylvania is known for the scenery of its Carpathian landscape and its rich history. The Western world commonly associates Transylvania with vampires because of the influence of Bram Stoker's novel "Dracula" and the many films the tale inspired.
This series focuses on shepherds in this region. When walking in some parts of Transylvania one would often feel that you have travelled back in time. There is hardly any sign of modern technology here, it is as if time had stopped, while beauty and nature are preserved. Sheep farming has been a tradition in this region for centuries.
Curator: Sandrine Hermand-Grisel
Istvan kerekes is a teacher and freelance photojournalist. He is to date, the most award-winning Hungarian photographer. In 2018, he was the world's youngest photographer to receive an award for his photographic achievement, the 'Excellence FIAP diamond3 (EFIAP/d3) Award', the highest distinction bestowed by FIAP (International Federation of Photographic Art). When he received this recognition there were only six artists with this distinction in the world. His most famous image is a portrait entitled Yelena, which has set an absolute record while winning over 600 awards in 57 countries on 6 continents. For his achievement in the field of photography, in August 2018, Mr. Janos Ader the President of Hungary gave him the 'Hungarian Gold Cross Order of Merit'.