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Win a Solo Exhibition in April 2026 + An Exclusive Interview!
Win a Solo Exhibition in April 2026 + An Exclusive Interview!
Paweł Pilch
Paweł Pilch
Paweł Pilch

Paweł Pilch

Country: Poland/United States
Birth: 1966

I was born in Southern Poland and I currently live in USA. My heart and my time is divided between these two countries, and I love being able to call them both home.

My photographic adventure started 20 years ago and eventually become my life’s passion. I received my primary and secondary education in Cracow, studied in NYC’s Hunter Collage and trained at Manhattan’s International Center of Photography. In my work I always look for images that can be best expressed with clear lines, bold colors, strong forms and rich textuers. From architectural and still life subjects to landscape and aerial imagery the goal always is to find places and moments when what I see in my viewfinder suddenly comes into sharp focus obliterating everything outside the frame.

As photographers we are always engaging in transforming the 3 dimensional world we live in onto a flat 2 dimensional surface. How successful we are in this pursuit depends on how effectively we can focus our perception, eliminate peripheral distractions and reduce what we see to its most basic visual elements. Every time I pick up my camera or start my drone’s engine the hunt begins for the perfect scene, and with every click of the shutter I ask the hidden image to reveal itself.
 

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Vivian Maier
United States
1926 | † 2009
Vivian Dorothea Maier was an American amateur street photographer, who was born in New York City but grew up in France. After returning to the United States, she worked for about forty years as a nanny in Chicago, IL. During those years, she took about 100,000 photographs, primarily of people and cityscapes in Chicago, although she traveled and photographed worldwide. Her photographs remained unknown and mostly undeveloped until they were discovered by a local Chicago historian and collector, John Maloof, in 2007. Following Maier's death, her work began to receive critical acclaim. Her photographs have been exhibited in the US, England, Germany, Denmark, and Norway, and have appeared in newspapers and magazines in the US, England, Germany, Italy, France and other countries. A book of her photography titled Vivian Maier: Street Photographer was published in 2011. Many of the details of Maier's life are still being uncovered. Initial impressions about her life indicated that she was born in France, but further researching revealed that she was born in New York, the daughter of Maria Jaussaud and Charles Maier, French and Austrian respectively. Vivian moved between the U.S. and France several times during her childhood, although where in France she lived is unknown. Her father seems to have left the family for unknown reasons by 1930. In the census that year, the head of the household was listed as award-winning portrait photographer Jeanne Bertrand, who knew the founder of the Whitney Museum of American Art. In 1951, at 25, Maier moved from France to New York, where she worked for some time in a sweatshop. She made her way to the Chicago area's North Shore in 1956 and became a nanny on and off for about 40 years, staying with one family for 14 of them. She was, in the accounts of the families for whom she worked, very private, spending her days off walking the streets of Chicago and taking photographs, most often with a Rolleiflex camera. John Maloof, curator of Maier's collection of photographs, summarizes the way the children she nannied would later describe her: "She was a Socialist, a Feminist, a movie critic, and a tell-it-like-it-is type of person. She learned English by going to theaters, which she loved. She wore a men's jacket, men's shoes and a large hat most of the time. She was constantly taking pictures, which she didn't show anyone." Between 1959 and 1960, Maier traveled to and photographed in Los Angeles, Manila, Bangkok, Beijing, Egypt, Italy and the American Southwest. The trip was probably financed by the sale of a family farm in Alsace. For a brief period in the 1970s, Maier worked as a nanny for Phil Donahue's children. As she got older, she collected more boxes of belongings, taking them with her to each new post. At one employer's house, she stored 200 boxes of materials. Most were photographs or negatives, but Maier collected other objects, such as newspapers, and sometimes recorded audiotapes of conversations she had with people she photographed. Toward the end of her life, Maier may have been homeless for some time. She lived on Social Security and may have had another source of income, but the children she had taken care of in the early 1950s bought her an apartment in the Rogers Park area of Chicago and paid her bills. In 2008, she slipped on ice and hit her head. She did not fully recover and died in 2009, at 83.Source: Wikipedia Sometime in 1949, while still in France, Maier began making her first photographs with a modest Kodak Brownie– an amateur camera with only one shutter speed, no focus control, and no aperture dial. In 1951, she returned from France alone and purchased a Rolleiflex camera the following year. In 1956, she moved to the North Shore suburbs of Chicago, where a family employed her as a nanny for their three boys. She enjoyed the luxury of a darkroom as well as a private bathroom, enabling her to process prints and develop her own rolls of black and white film. As the children entered adulthood, Maier had to seek other employment, forcing her to abandon developing her own film. Moving from family to family thereafter, her rolls of undeveloped, unprinted work began to collect. It was around this time that Maier decided to switch to color photography. Her subject matter shifted away from people to found objects, newspapers, and graffiti. In the 1980s, financial stress and lack of stability once again put Maier’s processing on hold, and the undeveloped color rolls began to accumulate. Sometime between the late 1990s and the first years of the new millennium, Maier put down her camera and stored her belongings while she tried to stay afloat. She bounced from homelessness to a small studio apartment, which a family she used to work for helped pay the rent. With meager means, the photographs in storage became lost memories until 2007, when they were sold off due to non-payment of rent. In 2008, Maier’s health began to deteriorate after she fell on a patch of ice, forcing her into a nursing home. She never made a full recovery, leaving behind an immense archive of work when she died in 2009.Source: Howard Greenberg Gallery When John Maloof, a real-estate agent, amateur historian, and garage-sale obsessive, acquired a box of photographic materials and personal detritus at an auction in suburban Chicago in 2007, he quickly realized that he had stumbled upon an unknown master of street photography. But despite his vigorous snooping, he could find no record of Vivian Maier, the name scribbled on the scraps of paper that he found among the negatives, prints, and undeveloped rolls of film. He tracked down the rest of the boxes emptied from an abandoned storage garage, amassing a collection of hundreds of thousands of frames shot in New York, Chicago, France, South America, and Asia between the nineteen-fifties and the nineteen-seventies. Two years after he bought the first box, he Googled the name again and, to his surprise, found an obituary announcing that Vivian Maier had died only a few days before. The short text had just enough information for Maloof to deduce that Maier had worked as a nanny in suburban Chicago.Source: The New Yorker
Matteo Bastianelli
Matteo Bastianelli (b. 1985) is a documentary photographer and filmmaker based in the Metropolitan City of Rome, Italy. He is a National Geographic Magazine contributor and a member of Italy's National Order of Journalists. Above all he works on personal projects and commissions related to social, environmental and human rights issues with a keen interest in the themes of memory, identity, inclusion and sustainability. His photographic and film projects have been regularly published and commissioned by Al Jazeera, CNN, Internazionale, The New York Times, National Geographic, Newsweek, The Guardian, Voice of America, Washington Post, among others. Since 2016 he has also been working on commission for NGOs such as Amnesty International, AVSI, Doctors Without Borders/MSF, Human Rights Watch and International Committee of the Red Cross. His projects have been widely shown in group and solo exhibitions and screenings around the world. A selection of Bastianelli’s accolades includes National Geographic Society’s Covid-19 Emergency Fund for Journalists, Emerging Talent Award at Reportage by Getty Images, AP32- American Photography Awards, PDN’s Photo Annual, Canon Young Photographers’ Award, Italian Doc Screenings Development Award for best documentary film and "Vittorio de Seta" prize for the director of the best documentary film at BIF&ST. He spent almost five years working in the former Yugoslavia, where he produced his early series. In 2012 was released his first monograph and documentary film, "The Bosnian Identity". In 2013 he started working on "Souls of Syrians", an ongoing project which stems from the concern to document the personal story of a Syrian youth who fled his country in search of salvation in Europe. In 2018 Bastianelli documented the world’s worst humanitarian disaster caused by the ongoing civil war in Yemen, focusing his attention on the resilience of civilians trapped in a life of violence and disease. His documentary film "Yemen Unveiled" was screened during the 2019 Human Rights Film Festival in Berlin, Germany and has been included in the Official Selection of the Health for All Film Festival 2020, organized by the World Health Organization in Geneva. In recent years, he has been continuing his research work on personal and small stories that, by synecdoche, represent a mosaic of contemporary history: from immigration to climate change, from social inclusion to the metamorphosis of the contemporary landscape. Movies:The Bosnian IdentityMal di Mare
Candida Höfer
Germany
1944
In the realm of contemporary photography, Candida Höfer stands as a luminary, renowned for her captivating exploration of architectural spaces. Born on June 28, 1944, in Eberswalde, Germany, Höfer's journey into the realm of imagery commenced at the renowned Kunstakademie Düsseldorf, where she studied under the tutelage of influential photographers such as Bernd and Hilla Becher. It was within this environment that Höfer's distinctive style began to take shape, influenced by the meticulous attention to detail and structural composition instilled by her mentors. Throughout her career, Höfer's work has been characterized by an unwavering dedication to capturing the essence of spaces. Her photographs transcend mere documentation, evoking a profound sense of contemplation and introspection within the viewer. Through her lens, mundane environments are transformed into captivating scenes, inviting exploration of the intricate interplay between form, function, and human presence. One of Höfer's most notable series, "Interiors," delves into the architectural heritage of culturally significant spaces such as libraries, museums, and theaters. Through meticulous composition and masterful use of light, she imbues these environments with a sense of solemn grandeur, inviting viewers to immerse themselves in the rich tapestry of history and culture encapsulated within each frame. Höfer's oeuvre extends beyond the boundaries of her native Germany, encompassing a diverse array of global locales. From the opulent halls of Versailles to the austere corridors of contemporary office buildings, her photographs offer a poignant commentary on the universal themes of human existence, identity, and collective memory. In addition to her solo exhibitions, Höfer's work has been featured in prestigious institutions and galleries worldwide, solidifying her status as one of the most influential photographers of her generation. Awards and accolades, including the prestigious Erasmus Prize in 2010, further underscore the profound impact of her contributions to the world of photography. Beyond her artistic achievements, Höfer's legacy also resides in her role as a mentor and educator, inspiring countless aspiring photographers to push the boundaries of their creativity and develop a deeper appreciation for the nuances of visual storytelling. As Candida Höfer continues to navigate the ever-evolving landscape of contemporary photography, her unwavering commitment to capturing the essence of spaces ensures that her work will endure as a timeless testament to the beauty and complexity of the built environment.
Lala Deen Dayal
India
1844 | † 1905
Lala Deen Dayal, (famously known as Raja Deen Dayal) born in 1844 in Sardhana, Uttar Pradesh, is revered as one of India's most influential photographers. His journey into photography began after he completed his education in engineering at Thomason College of Civil Engineering (now IIT Roorkee). Initially working as a draftsman for the Public Works Department, Deen Dayal's interest in photography soon turned into a passionate pursuit, transforming him into a pioneer of the craft in India. In the late 19th century, when photography was still a nascent field, Deen Dayal's talent quickly garnered attention. He established his first studio in Indore, gaining the patronage of Maharaja Tukoji Rao II. His reputation for capturing intricate details and the essence of Indian life, architecture, and landscapes soon spread, leading to numerous commissions from Indian royalty and British officials. This period marked the beginning of his illustrious career, during which he documented India's rich cultural heritage with a distinctive artistic vision. Deen Dayal's photographic expertise reached new heights when he was appointed the court photographer for the sixth Nizam of Hyderabad, Mahbub Ali Pasha, in 1885. This prestigious position allowed him unparalleled access to the royal family and their opulent lifestyle. His photographs from this era are renowned for their exquisite composition and detail, providing a rare glimpse into the grandeur of princely India. Deen Dayal's work from this period includes portraits, architectural studies, and documentation of royal ceremonies, all characterized by their meticulous attention to detail. Throughout his career, Deen Dayal's contributions to photography extended beyond his royal commissions. He established studios in Mumbai, Indore, and Hyderabad, training a generation of Indian photographers and expanding the reach of professional photography in the country. His innovative techniques and commitment to quality earned him international recognition. In 1897, he was awarded the Royal Warrant by Queen Victoria, a testament to his exceptional skill and the impact of his work on a global scale. Lala Deen Dayal passed away in 1905, but his legacy endures through his extensive body of work that continues to be celebrated for its historical and artistic significance. His photographs are invaluable records of India's architectural and cultural history, capturing the essence of a bygone era with clarity and depth. Deen Dayal's pioneering spirit and dedication to his craft have left an indelible mark on the history of photography, establishing him as a true trailblazer in the field. His work remains a source of inspiration for photographers and historians alike, preserving the rich tapestry of 19th-century India for future generations.
Chuck Fishman
United States
1953
André Kertész
Hungary
1894 | † 1985
André Kertész, born Kertész Andor, was a Hungarian-born photographer known for his groundbreaking contributions to photographic composition and the photo essay. In the early years of his career, his then-unorthodox camera angles and style prevented his work from gaining wider recognition. Kertész never felt that he had gained the worldwide recognition he deserved. Today he is considered one of the seminal figures of photojournalism. Expected by his family to work as a stockbroker, Kertész pursued photography independently as an autodidact, and his early work was published primarily in magazines, a major market in those years. This continued until much later in his life, when Kertész stopped accepting commissions. He served briefly in World War I and moved to Paris in 1925, then the artistic capital of the world, against the wishes of his family. In Paris he worked for France's first illustrated magazine called VU. Involved with many young immigrant artists and the Dada movement, he achieved critical and commercial success. Due to German persecution of the Jews and the threat of World War II, Kertész decided to emigrate to the United States in 1936, where he had to rebuild his reputation through commissioned work. In the 1940s and 1950s, he stopped working for magazines and began to achieve greater international success. His career is generally divided into four periods, based on where he was working and his work was most prominently known. They are called the Hungarian period, the French period, the American period and, toward the end of his life, the International period. Source: Wikipedia André Kertész (1894–1985) has been hailed as one of the most important photographers of the twentieth century. Working intuitively, he captured the poetry of modern urban life with its quiet, often overlooked incidents and odd, occasionally comic, or even bizarre juxtapositions. He endeavored "to give meaning to everything" about him with his camera, "to make photographs as by reflection in a mirror, unmanipulated and direct as in life." Combining this seemingly artless spontaneity with a sophisticated understanding of composition, Kertész created a purely photographic idiom that celebrates direct observation of the everyday. Neither a surrealist, nor a strict photojournalist, he nevertheless infused his best images with strong tenets of both. "You don't see" the things you photograph, he explained, "you feel them." Born Kertész Andor in Budapest, he received his first camera in 1912 and immediately began to make intimate portraits of family and friends, studies of the Hungarian countryside, and scenes of daily life behind the battle lines of World War I. Seeking to make a living through photography, he moved in 1925 to Paris, where he established a successful career as a photojournalist. Buoyed by this accomplishment and inspired by the vibrant artistic community of the French capital, he created some of the most intriguing and celebrated images of the period. In 1936 Kertész relocated to New York in order to further his career. Captivated by the rich visual spectacle of the city and awed by its scale, he used the camera to record both his fascination with, and sense of alienation from, his new surroundings. The images attest to a complicated personal history borne through the political upheavals of two wars and life in three countries. He died at age ninety-one. This exhibition offers a comprehensive overview of Kertész's rich and varied career. Source: The International Center of Photography
Ellen von Unwerth
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