Photographic Exhibition Guide

Reframe: Directors' Cut is a film centring the responses of Black artists to the climate emergency, which premieres at Aviva Studios this Spring.

Accompanying the film at Aviva Studios is an exhibition of the powerful photography created as part of the original installation – as part of a season of work created by artists responding to urgent crisis in the world.

Reframe: The Residency was originally produced by the Southbank Centre with Factory International in Manchester and Birmingham City University’s STEAMhouse and Midlands Arts Centre in Birmingham, and was supported by Apple. The programme was developed to reach and support Black and Black dual heritage creatives aged 18 – 30 looking to take their career in the creative sector to the next level.

Reframe: Directors' Cut and Exhibition runs from 6 to 10 March 2024 at Aviva Studios.

Exhibition Map

  • A person in an orange t-shirt with dreadlocks and a nose ring looks upwards, with their hands placed behind their head. There is grass in the background out of focus.

    Photograph by Stephen Akinyemi. Reframe: Directors' Cut and Exhibition.

    1. Stephen Akinyemi

    Stephen Akinyemi sees his photography as dancing with light; as rhyming tones like a poet does with words. The medium gives Akinyemi the opportunity to tell stories without talking, thus removing the language barrier so everyone understands. But the question remains: how do we tell a story of what really matters?

  • A person wearing a yellow hazmat suit, blue latex gloves and protective glasses. They are crouched on the floor outside with bunches of colourful flowers.

    Photograph by Shemel Rose-Thompson. Reframe: Directors' Cut and Exhibition.

    2. SHEMEL ROSE THOMPSON

    Shemel Rose-Thompson is an established freelance photographer who takes inspiration from her home in Old Trafford, focusing on representations of people and place. Socially conscious and inspired by change, Rose-Thompson is driven by her experiences with the hardships of society and a desire to capture emotion.

  • A person in a yellow hazmat suit and face mask sits inside a car tyre outside.

    Photograph by Joshua R. Drake. Reframe: Directors' Cut and Exhibition

    3. Joshua R. Drakes

    Joshua R. Drakes is a versatile creative from Manchester with a passion for photography and graphic design,
    who channels his creative energy into crafting visually captivating experiences. Drakes draws inspiration from art, nature and his mother to produce work which blends creativity and the essence of nature.

  • A person wearing hooped earrings and a black cap smiles at the camera. Their hands are placed on a table covered with records.

    Photograph by Ronke Jane Adelakun. Reframe: Directors' Cut and Exhibition.

    4. Ronke Jane Adelakun

    Ronke Jane Adelakun is a multi-talented artist with a passion for conveying powerful messages through visual storytelling. As a photographer, poet and fashion designer, she showcases the multifaceted nature of Black women and challenges stereotypes. Her photography has appeared in titles including Hello! and Stylist.

  • A naked person in a foetus position wrapped in plastics

    Photograph by Leah Moses. Reframe: Directors' Cut and Exhibition.

    5. Leah Moses

    Leah Moses is a photographer and videographer from Wolverhampton in the West Midlands. Through Leah Storm Content, her studio, Moses makes striking, innovative work driven by her passion for captivating audiences and creating images that linger in their minds.

  • A person in a white dress and headdress carries a drum. The background is white and out of focus.

    Photograph by David Sanya. Reframe: Directors' Cut and Exhibition.

    6. David Sanya

    David Sanya is an artist from Walsall in the West Midlands. He is known for simplistic imagery which often references classical paintings and colonial Nigerian history, and for placing his subjects at the centre of compositions, drawing the viewer into their solitary character.

  • A person in a long white dress stands on a patch of artificial grass inside a garage

    Photo by Christian Emanuel. Reframe: Directors' Cut and Exhibition.

    7. Christian Emanuel

    Christian Emanuel is a film-maker and conceptual portrait photographer who uses film cameras and enjoys the analogue process. He recently developed his first collection of photographs, which featured in the Humanity exhibition at Sotheby’s in London before touring to other notable galleries across the UK.

  • A bird flies over a pond, its reflection visible – next to branches, leaves and trees. The colours are distorted, leaving a red section in the

    Photograph by Robbie Spotswood. Reframe: Directors' Cut and Exhibition.

    8. ROBBIE SPOTSWOOD

    Robbie Spotswood is a London-based documentary-style photographer of Ghanaian and British descent. Using his camera to create visual poetry, Spotswood aims to share vivid, often dreamlike narratives revolving around notions of place, identity and belonging, in relation to interpersonal experiences.

  • Several hands hover over a green bin filled with rubbish

    Photograph by Daniel Adesina. Reframe: Directors' Cut and Exhibition.

    9. Daniel Adesina

    Daniel Adesina is a creative from Nigeria, whose kaleidoscopic work aims to transform the mundane into something extraordinary. Their lens serves as a gateway to dimensions where fashion, lifestyle and architecture intertwine in a symphony of colour and form, evoking a profound sense of creativity in all who witness it.

  • A black-and-white photograph of a child with their eyes closed behind an icy window

    Photograph by Tracy L.M. Reframe: Directors' Cut and Exhibition.

    10. Tracy L.M.

    Tracy L.M. specialises in conceptual photographic portraiture. She is known for her innovative approach to capturing the raw emotions and hidden aspects of her subjects, and for her expertise in colour grading and post production. Her personal projects document her journey into self-discovery through a spiritual lens.

  • Photograph from the Reframe: Director's Cut exhibition

    Photograph by Four Five Six Ward-Tucker. Reframe: Directors' Cut and Exhibition.

    11. Four Five Six Ward-Tucker

    Four Five Six Ward-Tucker is a London-based photographer who specialises in shooting with analogue cameras and film. Starting out as a street photographer in 2016, Ward-Tucker’s work now encompasses live music, events and studio portraiture.

  • A black-and-white photograph of sand and rocks with a red bucket in the centre.

    Photograph by Filipe Rosario Da Silva. Reframe: Directors' Cut and Exhibition.

    12. Filipe Rosario Da Silva

    Filipe Rosario Da Silva is a graphic artist with a background in design engineering, graphic design and product development. His practice combines media including 3D, digital sketch and photography, to create striking work which effectively communicates a message and captures the viewer’s attention.

  • Two people embracing – both wearing flowing white clothes. One is turned away from the camera with long black hair. The other has their eyes closed. The background includes grass and trees out of focus.

    Photograph by Tayo Adekunle. Reframe: Directors' Cut and Exhibition.

    13. TAYO ADEKUNLE

    Tayo Adekunle is a Nigerian British photographer based in London. Her work explores narratives around race, gender and sexuality. Solo exhibitions include Tales of an Absent Truth at studio/chapple and Tayo Adekunle at Workplace Foundation, and she has featured in group shows at Christie’s and the Saatchi Gallery.

  • A close-up photograph of a young child wearing a clear face mask – against a blue background

    Photograph by Luca Nembhard. Reframe: Directors' Cut and Exhibition.

    14. Luca Nembhard

    Luca Nembhard is a visual artist from Lewisham in London. With a focus on portraiture, he captures the essence of his community and its ever-changing landscape, weaving together past and present to create images that evoke a nostalgic charm while preserving the spirit of the now.

  • Black-and-white photograph of four children outside in front of a brick wall. One child is on a bike wearing a clear face mask – the other children are looking at them.

    Photograph by Kadi Diallo. Reframe: Directors' Cut and Exhibition.

    15. Kadi Diallo

    South London-based photographer Kadi Diallo started in street photography, capturing the essence of people and places, before focusing on portraiture and ways it can tell a story. Her evolving style draws inspiration from her surroundings, lived experience, artistic influences and a general interest in people.

  • The sea with the sun peering through the clouds above

    Photograph by Solomon Hughes. Reframe: Directors' Cut and Exhibition.

    16. Solomon Hughes

    Solomon Hughes is a Manchester-based photographer working in fields including documentary and portraiture. He also experiments with video and audio, embracing the added dimensions for artistic expression offered by these media.

  • A pregnant woman standing in a green space with trees. She is wearing a white crop top and skirt, and she is cradling her stomach. Her head is not visible.

    Photograph by Liz Naomi. Reframe: Directors' Cut and Exhibition.

    17. Liz Naomi

    Liz Naomi documents moments of stillness and intimacy within Black communities through photography and digital art. Her work explores introspective notions of mental health and identity, with the relationship between humans and nature, and its correlation to individual and collective healing, as a constant presence.

  • A close-up, black-and-white photo of a person wearing a nose ring and looking at the camera

    Photograph by Charles Mensah. Reframe: Directors' Cut and Exhibition.

    18. Charles Mensah

    Paris-born, south London-based Charles Mensah is an Afropean photographer and director who has been honing his craft with black & white fashion and portrait visuals. His approach is influenced by the work of Black photographers and artists such as James Barnor, Chi Modu, Darryl Daley and Eddie Otchere, Mensah’s mentor.

  • A black-and-white photograph of a person looking at the camera – with hair tied up and hooped earrings. The background is blurry.

    Photograph by Audrey Damier. Reframe: Directors' Cut and Exhibition.

    19. Audrey Damier

    French-born Audrey Damier grew up on the outskirts of Paris and the influence of this suburban environment shows up in her photography. Another core influence is the discussion around representation. At the heart of her work is Damier’s belief that it is up to us to support, promote and create the images that we want to see.

  • Photo by Nico Walker. Reframe: Directors' Cut and Exhibition.

    20. Nico Walker

    Nico Walker is a film photographer who is fascinated by stories. With a background in film-making/production, he has made documentary his primary medium, seeing his camera as a diary to capture meaningful moments and record life as it happens. Walker has used the Reframe residency to experiment with different approaches.

  • A big group of people gathered in a bedroom – sitting, standing, lying down on the bed and talking

    Photograph by Timon Benson. Reframe: Directors' Cut and Exhibition.

    21. Timon Benson

    Timon Benson is a self-taught photographer who is interested in using documentary photography to ruminate over the sentimental parts of his life. By recounting these moments, Benson’s aim is to create new, enduring narratives.

  • A distorted image of a person with bright green colours and letters on their face – on a bright blue background.

    Photograph by Vyannah Campbell-Rose. Reframe: Directors' Cut and Exhibition.

    22. Vyannah Campbell-Rose

    Vyannah Campbell-Rose is a photographer who is inspired to use multimedia practices as a means of fully expressing herself in imagery, fashion and abstraction.

  • A person stood on a building, with Manchester's skyline and cranes behind them on a sunny day

    Photograph by Hannah Njoroge. Reframe: Directors' Cut and Exhibition.

    23. Hannah Njoroge

    Hannah Njoroge is an emerging multidisciplinary artist who aims to think outside the box. Her work explores the world through storytelling, music, painting, writing and photography, pushing the boundaries of contemporary art. Always embracing new possibilities, Njoroge is currently immersed in the world of digital art.

    'We’ll only achieve sustainability/climate justice if we work together…you don’t need any qualifications to be part of the conversation. Remember we are all linked by humanity…differences are only always on the surface. The next generation has the power to change things despite how they have been. You can change things. We only have this one world and it’s in danger. Find a way to help make it a better place' – Feimatta Conteh 

Meet the residency artists

Reframe: The Residency included an incredible mix of artists and creatives from across Manchester, Birmingham and London. Get to know them here.

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