Two Graduates Exhibit Final Work

NEW PERSPECTIVES: PHOTOGRAPHY FROM CHINA AND MONGOLIA By Grace Gelder & Laura Mccallum

Wed 13 - Thurs 28 Aug - Balcony Gallery - Lighthouse

Laura’s work is a personal account of her experiences with internet dating. After answering personal ads in Beijing men’s lonely heart sites, she recorded her preparation, journeys and meetings, which are exhibited along with extracts from her shooting diary. Laura started the project to research the effects of China’s imbalance in the ratio of men to women, which is causing many men to use the internet to broaden their search to find their perfect match.

Through her portrait series of professional Mongolian women, Grace seeks to challenge the perception of Mongolia as an under-developed country dominated by a rural nomadic population. Over half of the 2.9 million inhabitants now live in an urban environment, mostly in the capital Ulanbaataar. Statistics from a UN report last year show that out of 115 Countries surveyed, Mongolia came top for women’s participation in the professional and technical workforce. This project shows a variety of roles that women play in Mongolian society by photographing them in their working environment. ...more