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Sarah  Ketelaars
Sarah  Ketelaars
Sarah  Ketelaars

Sarah Ketelaars

Country: United Kingdom

Sarah Ketelaars is a British photographer from Brighton, UK. She has a BA and an MA degree in English Literature from Jesus College, Cambridge, an MSc in Social Science from the Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen and a Diploma in photography from City College, Brighton. She began her career as a journalist and her images have appeared on book, CD and magazine cover. Her work has been exhibited nationally and internationally and is represented by Trevillion Images & Getty, and by 35 North Gallery in Brighton. In 2021 she was selected as one of the Lensculture Critics’ Choice winners for her project ‘Windows’ shot during lockdown in Houston, Texas and in 2024 she was selected as a finalist for her project ‘The 544’ in the Lensculture Art Photography Awards.


The 544
This ongoing project is a memorial to 544 psychiatric patients murdered by the Nazis in 1941 in Latvia. The figurative images I’ve made are all cyanotypes. Eventually there will be one for each man, woman and child killed.

My grandmother was working at the hospital from where the patients were taken. I have visited the hospital and found that although the story is known no memorial exists. The only official record seems to be a short paragraph in the Nuremberg report. So far I have found no record of the names.

Using a historic photographic process feels fitting for a project examining a historical event. An ancient pagan Latvian folk symbol is drawn on by hand in gold ink to each piece.

It is impossible for me to look at these images without thinking about how the lives of these people ended. However, the project is primarily intended as a memorial. I wanted the images to hint at some more celebratory moments, to remember the lives lived before these people entered the hospital; before they died. Not knowing anything about the identities of the dead, I have tried to imagine each one as a unique, precious being, and give each back a little of the character stripped from them when they were murdered and reduced by history to a number on a list of nameless victims.

The project is the second in a trilogy looking at my family history, examining themes of cultural inheritance, identity and intergenerational trauma.
 

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More Great Photographers To Discover

Laura Aguilar
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Laura Aguilar, a pioneering photographer, used her lens as a powerful tool for social empowerment and representation. Born with a keen eye and a deep sense of empathy, Aguilar sought to challenge the traditional narratives of art history by capturing the beauty and dignity of marginalized communities often overlooked by mainstream society. Aguilar's work defied convention, focusing on subjects that had long been excluded from the artistic canon. From lesbians and Latinas to individuals with disabilities and those whose bodies did not conform to societal norms, Aguilar fearlessly confronted stereotypes and celebrated the diversity of human experience. Her photographs were a testament to the strength, resilience, and inherent worth of each individual, regardless of their background or identity. I wouldn't know what to do with the perfect body. Can we get comfortable with the imperfections? – Laura Aguilar What set Aguilar apart as an artist was not only her choice of subjects but also her meticulous attention to the formal aspects of photography. Drawing inspiration from both modernist and Social Documentary traditions, Aguilar infused her work with a unique perspective informed by her own lived experience as a lesbian Latina. Through her lens, she sought to capture the essence of her subjects in a way that transcended superficial appearances, inviting viewers to connect with the humanity and complexity of each individual. Above all, Aguilar viewed art as a means of giving voice to those who had been silenced or marginalized. Her photographs served as a powerful form of advocacy, challenging viewers to confront their own biases and preconceptions while fostering empathy and understanding. Through her art, Aguilar sought to create a more inclusive and compassionate society, one where all individuals were valued and respected for who they are. I know some people see me as very childlike, naïve. Maybe so. I am. But I will be damned if I let this part of me die! – Laura Aguilar Despite facing obstacles and adversity throughout her life, Aguilar remained steadfast in her commitment to social justice and equality. Her work continues to inspire and provoke, reminding us of the importance of representation and the transformative power of art. Laura Aguilar's legacy lives on through her photographs, which serve as a testament to the enduring strength of the human spirit and the possibility of positive change.
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Unless people are born with clothes on, and I want to take their clothes off, then I think this is a revolution. If it was already like that, then it's not a revolution. I just photographed things on their more natural conditions." He said he was not trying to liberate nudity and sexuality since he believed that the Chinese young generation was open-minded and less affected by the old-fashioned cultures. When Ren Hang talked about the question whether the topic of sexuality was still a taboo in China, he said: "I don't think it's related to our times, these are individual cases. Like how to say it, I think it depends on different people, it doesn't really relate to other things. I was not in the whole parents told you that you can only have sex if you get married era. The time after I grow up was already over that period, it was already different like everyone was already more relaxed."Source: Wikipedia Flesh, corpses, souls and bland flashlights, all composite into seconds or milliseconds of lights and shadows, projecting onto the film that never knows how to lie. Focus gathering and the shutter releasing, connecting his unpretentious, rebellious, wild and free perspectives towards the naked human body. The images look so natural, yet fun and unexpected. One soul after another all blossom like a newborn baby, urging to crawl out of his mother’s womb, dying to be redefined. In this era that we live in, being censored by the Chinese government has almost become a stamp of approval for contemporary artists. Ren Hang, a young man with a mature look and tanned skin, hair as short as a Chinese soldiers’, always carrying an irresistibly cute and innocent smile on his cheeks. He is, perhaps, the sole artist and photographer with the most edgy outlook towards the naked human body. Ren Hang continues to stress the fact that he is “boring“. Especially when asked about those basic questions of his inspirational origins and meanings behind the photos, he always just smiles naively, shakes his shoulders and says, “I don’t really know. I never really thought about it.” Perhaps he is such a paver, heading towards the direction of happiness and creative freedom without realizing the pathways he has left behind. You might find him confusing and puzzling, but he has the ambience of such kindness that you would always trust that no evil can come out from him. He is merely a pure form of naked human beings. Source: ITSLIQUID
Taisuke Sato
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Taisuke was born in Nagoya, Japan in 1969. After graduating from the Department of Sociology at Ritsumeikan University, Kyoto, Japan, he worked in housing sales and management for a major Japanese housing company. When he turned 50, he chose to spend his life exploring arts, photography and its philosophy, then turned to be a photographer. He takes pictures in the style of street photography. They have some feelings, lonely, surreal, and humorous. He also has a unique sensitivity to the distance between society and people, and the perspective from which he views them. This is because when he was a boy, he moved every three years due to his father's job transfer. As a result, he learned how to blend in quickly and get along with the existing community by observing closely and understanding the distance and atmosphere between people. This is because in Japan's collectivist and relationship-oriented society, it is difficult to join an existing group. In addition, the fact that he himself is an existence that "Appears one day and disappears the next" has given him a subjective and objective perspective and thinking, but even so, in Japanese society dominated by the exclusivity of the community and "the Atmosphere of the place", his identity without a hometown or geographical ties is very uncertain and unstable. For this reason, his works are photographed with a unique sensibility, and their atmosphere reflects his worldview. His main theme is the relationship between himself, people, and society. In his work, he presents a methodology that takes a multifaceted view of human life and society and transforms it into a "Acceptance of impermanence". And more, he has deep insights into social behavioral psychology, social science, mental health, social class, Japanese organizational philosophies, housing and family, which are largely reflected in his work.
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