Eivissa is a new series in a rapidly growing portfolio of work by talented international photographer Annelies Damen. Hosted by Embassy Tea Gallery, 195-205 Union Street, London, SE1 0LN; this is her first London exhibition of work developed while on location on Ibiza (Eivissa, is the Catalan name for the island). The show encompasses the running theme in her work which is the exploration and celebration of women surrounded by the natural world. The photographs will be on display from 6-9 March 2014.

Press Release

Eivissa, Annelies Damen

Embassy Tea Gallery, London

Eivissa is a new series in a rapidly growing portfolio of work by talented international photographer Annelies Damen. Embassy Tea Gallery will host her first London exhibition of work developed while on location in the island of Ibiza, capturing the underrepresented serenity of the Island. The show encompasses the running theme in her work which is the exploration and celebration of women surrounded by the natural world. Annelies Damen graduated from the Academy of Photography, Amsterdam in 2006, after transforming her career from business to fine art photography. Using this medium, Damen (who is from the Netherlands) has skilfully and sensitively captured strong female imagery from a myriad of cultures and which both connect to complements their surrounding landscape creating a sublime interaction in her work.

Damen’s photography has taken her across many continents; her favourite is Africa where she describes the magic, pride independence and sensuality of women in a variety of cultures as the inspiration for her work. As an artist she demonstrates the symphony between the female form in very natural settings creating a painterly meeting of shadow, shapes and lines steeped in an organic beauty. There are strong references to the human relationship with the landscape and the narratives from the past, which references her more historical work and references to ancestry. 

Eivissa, is the Catalan name for the Island of Ibiza, “in this new series I want to show the different natural elements of Ibiza. It connects so well with the characters and shapes of the headstrong women born on the Eivissan soil or who came to the island to stay there.” By using the islands Catalan name in relation to the work Damen is able to recontexualize contemporary ideas about Ibiza’s reputation as a party island and explore it from a contemplative perspective. By focusing on simple aesthetics of the natural world, she transforms the island into a place of sanctuary, myth and meaning, a far cry from noise and chaos we may identify with as a rowdy holiday destination. 

In the second space Annelies will also be showing an overview of work from her series My Africa, Spirit of Maui, Pilgrimage and Space. She has already exhibited worldwide, including shows in New York, Paris, Mumbai and Amsterdam. Her work is widely collected and has been exhibited in various institutions including Sotheby’s, Noorderlicht, Photofever, White Space and Gorcums Museum.

Embassy Tea Gallery,
195-205 Union Street, London, SE1 0LN
6th-9th March, 2014
11pm – 6pm

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