Eva Vermandel: 40 Portraits

To celebrate the 40th Sydney Festival, London-based photographer Eva Vermandel has brought the Festival's history to life with an evocative series of portraits premiering at UNSW Galleries.

Commissioned to capture 40 faces from the Festival's history, Vermandel travelled to Iceland, China, USA, Europe and around Australia, visiting the homes, studios and favourite locations of Sydney Festival people past and present. The Sydney Festival’s collaborative spirit is visualised in Vermandel’s sensitive photography, capturing everyone from internationally renowned artists like Kate Champion and David Byrne to behind-the-scenes staff, volunteers and audience members. '40 Portraits' pays tribute to the enthusiasm and dedication of the many people involved in creating Sydney Festival over four decades, both on and offstage.

Eva Vermandel was born in Sint-Niklaas, Belgium in 1974 and relocated to London in 1996. Quickly establishing herself as a sought-after portrait photographer, she has worked for a wide range of celebrated magazines including The New York Times, The Sunday Times, The Independent, Telegraph, The Wire, Mojo and W (USA). Setting up her own art practice in 2004, a solo show at Douglas Hyde Gallery in Dublin soon followed, alongside an accompanying book entitled Alabama Chrome. Eva has since continued to produce several highly acclaimed bodies of work which have been acquired by notable museums including the V&A in London and the Scottish National Galleries in Edinburgh. In 2013, Vermandel's monograph Splinter was published by Hatje Cantz. Eva has lectured in photography at Middlesex University since 2012.

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Presented by UNSW Galleries in association with Sydney Festival

Eva Vermandel, Ursula Yovich from the series '40 Portraits' 2015. Image courtesy the artist.

 

Eva Vermandel, William Yang from the series '40 Portraits' 2015. Image courtesy the artist.