Fresh from the MA Commercial Photography course, these photographers are exploring identity, ancestry, memory and tradition
Despite an increasingly hostile climate for UK creatives, young photographers continue to emerge from university in the hopes of setting the world alight. The London College of Communication’s MA Commercial Photography students are no different. Having visited the students during their graduate show, I was struck by the breadth and depth of the stories they were telling.
At its worst, the commercial photography space is about selling a product. At its best, it can tap into personal and collective narratives that elicit empathy and understanding. Below, we get to know eight of the most exciting photographers who are flying the LCC nest.
“A Hole in the Wall was inspired by a behaviour of my grandfather’s: he used to love facing the wall and tapping it with his hands before going to sleep, to the extent that it left a hole there. My childhood task was to discourage this ‘habit’ of his.
“It wasn’t until many years after his passing that I discovered a secret hidden in my home: In 1976, my grandfather came to Tangshan in search of work, accompanied by his wife and eldest daughter. However, on July 28, the Tangshan earthquake struck that very evening, just two to three hours after their arrival, and he forever lost his wife and one daughter before they even had a chance to set down their luggage. He believed that his decisions, more than the earthquake’s devastation, caused their deaths. He began a mechanical behaviour because of trauma: unconsciously chiselling the wall.
“I depicted these scenes, portraying my grandfather’s remorse evolving into nightmarish dreams: in his dreams, he believed he had killed his wife and daughter. Within these nightmares, he seemed to engage in domestic violence or display indifference to their deaths, but it was all a manifestation of his painful self-blame. I linked the desert to earthquakes; in these dream sequences, all water transformed into sand, revealing that everything was merely a dream.”
“Weaving The World begins with a true story of my 87-year-old grandmother, who had accumulated a large box of plastic beads, which I later found out were BB bullets from toy guns played by children in the community. At her age, it was difficult for her to bend down to pick up each plastic bead and stand up again, but she had collected thousands of beads. This struck me like a bullet to the heart, awakening me to the profound sense of boredom, isolation, and the gradual erosion of her connection with the world and the purpose of life.
“I put myself in the picture and recreated games I loved from childhood with my grandmother and great aunt, creating a vibrant dreamscape for the elderly and reconnecting them with the younger generation. This presents a narrative that weaves together dreams and reality, memory and the present, emotions and time.
“The time allocated for my graduation project wasn't sufficient to cover all the topics I envisioned, and I intend to treat this project as a long-term endeavour, continuing to use photography to establish connections with my grandmother and even more elderly individuals in the future. In the current landscape where AI becomes a prominent topic, I aim to use photography to establish connections with more real people and the real world.”
“Shall We Talk? sprang from the discord with my father over my vocational path. This project probes not only our father-daughter bond but also mirrors the tussle between familial hopes and my own ambitions. Educated abroad from a young age, I enjoyed the perks of diverse learning but concurrently faced a growing emotional rift with my family. My father’s desire was for me to enter management and inherit the family enterprise, yet my passion lay firmly in photography. This disparity impacted our relationship and filled me with unease about what lay ahead. The fruits of this project went beyond my anticipations. I managed to garner my father’s support for my ongoing exploration of phototherapy, enriching my comprehension of family ties and self-identity.
“I employed the re-enactment phototherapy methods pioneered by Jo Spence and Rosy Martin. Spending two months in my father’s factory over the summer break, this period was as much about exploring our relationship as it was about seeking my personal identity. Opting for self-portraits on film, I engaged in this immersive creative process to explore the connections between myself, my father, and the factory.”
“Fong Tiáo Yǔ Shù interprets Taiwan from a positive and warm perspective by showing the unique fruits grown and the close connection between fruit farmers and the land. It is also a love letter to my motherland. I want my photography works to have a positive impact on audiences and be helpful to other people. After contemplating how to combine these elements, I decided to start from my own experience. Many young people born and raised in Taiwan always have a fear rooted deep in our minds if peace in Taiwan today could be sustained in the future.
“In the 1970s, Taiwan was known as the Kingdom of Fruits. With innovative and advanced farming techniques, Taiwanese farmers cultivated various unique species, and all year round, there were fruits growing in different regions. I embarked on a month-long trip around the island, visiting 12 fruit farmers to record their daily works and introduce unique and symbolic Taiwanese fruits through images, such as guava, dragon fruit, and wax apple, and show the sincere interaction between people and land, people and people, and also create a travelogue of the stories of the journey.
“After completing this project, I found myself living away from home for many years, reconnecting with Taiwan and reinforcing my national identity. For me, this is the unexpected and beautiful fruit of this trip.”
“I like to think that the portraits from Beyond Silāii Bunāii serve as conversation starters, encouraging people to acknowledge the hardships and societal pressures faced by women in India. For a long time in India, a woman’s worth has been scrutinised based on her ability to perform traditional household chores. For instance, in an arranged marriage – an age-old tradition in India – when looking for a bride-to-be, young women are often questioned about their ability to perform certain skills such as cleaning, cooking, knitting, and more. I want my work to represent strong women who defy social norms in subtle ways and showcase how women can achieve far beyond being domesticated. Capturing the beauty of rebelling, attaining wisdom, and the hope for the times ahead.
“I draw creative inspiration from various sources, with a significant influence coming from my memories of home. Whether I'm flipping through my family photo archives, reflecting on personal anecdotes, or identifying 90s stylistic trends, my roots play a crucial role in shaping my artistic vision. One photographer who particularly inspires me is Nadine Ijewere. I’m constantly in awe when I look at her images, aspiring to achieve a narrative that resonates with a broader audience and makes them feel seen.”
“The Admirable Fabric of Masculine Intelligence (2023-) examines the traditional role division between men and women and how prevalent norms influence our perception of the ‘expected’’ This autobiographical project reflects on the experiences and feelings I went through when I left an office-based job back in 2014 in conservative Switzerland to become the caregiver to our two young daughters. I chose self-portraits as the method of expression not only to retain control of the images but also to allow myself to probe and reflect on dimensions I may not have observed before.
“The images are staged but set in ordinary surroundings, photographed mostly in locations close to where I live. I used family extensively in this series to reflect on its importance as an institution both to myself and to society.
“A lot of my work reflects my interest in social and economic issues (justice) and how we as individuals place ourselves in society. Books, especially fiction, are also a great source of inspiration for me – I am fascinated by the way authors can create a narrative and manage to embed their often-subtle thoughts and opinions into it without breaking up the package. The conceptualisation of The Admirable Fabric of Masculine Intelligence was largely influenced by Virginia Woolf’s novel To the Lighthouse (1927), in which many of her groundbreaking thoughts on gender and relationships were introduced.”
“The images in BROADWAY show the portraits of five artists in the spaces they consider to be their cocoon for artistic expression. Through the photographs, one can tell how the spaces contribute significantly to the artist’s personality, often surpassing their explicit efforts to showcase it.
“I find inspiration from the people I meet and their stories. Each artist brings a unique perspective to the series, enriching it with varied viewpoints, and I intend to broaden this series by featuring a diverse range of artists in the project. Additionally, I am considering launching a blog to serve as a digital scrapbook, allowing me to keep a comprehensive record of the series and also providing the audience with insights into its evolution. Moreover, I believe the blog will be an effective platform for discovering new artists and fostering connections within the creative community.”
”ZODIAC is an image-based project that tempts viewers into its hypnotic, vibrant universe with vivid colours and elegant poses. The cosmos and its mysteries have always intrigued human society. Throughout history, people have turned to constellations to elucidate profound questions about our identity, origins, and existence. The planetary positions at the moment of our birth can be composed to form a birth chart containing our traits and uniqueness, which is as unique as a fingerprint.
“ZODIAC draws inspiration from astrology, specifically my own birth chart, to create a diverse body of work in various formats that articulate my vision of the zodiac archetypes. Models embody each star sign, creating images oscillating between stereotypes and my interpretation of the zodiac signs, akin to day and night.
“To achieve images reminiscent of drawings, I developed a method involving long-exposure photography, printing, handcrafting the print, scanning, retouching, and re-printing. Embracing a hands-on approach, I aimed to create images oscillating between the styles of Italian Renaissance artists, such as Michelangelo, and the classical aesthetics of Greek statues. Simultaneously, I incorporated the vibrant colours and textures found in the kitsch and camp works of artists like Tim Walker, David Lachapelle, and especially Pierre et Gilles, whose collaborative process of blending photography and hand-painted elements added layers of colour, texture, and embellishments, mirroring my workflow.”