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by Dr Michela Coletta and Dr Malayna Raftopoulos

The Institute of Latin American Studies is delighted to announce that a photographic exhibition on Latin American landscapes is now on display at the University of London, Institute of Latin American Studies, Senate House, second floor.

The exhibition features original works by four international artists: Michell Leon, Rupert Medd, Alban Naffrechoux and Walter Wust.

Photographic Exhbition

Michell Leon

Michell León graduated in Media and Communication and has more than 10 years of professional photographic experience. For last six years he has worked as a nature photographer, participating in various expeditions for biological evaluations and projects relating to the conservation of the environment in Peru. To date, he has developed a number of works for both public and private institutions. Michell’s photographs have been used in wide range of publications related to nature, culture and tourism such as the Guide of Natural Protected Areas in Peru, edited by the Ministry of the Environment and the Guide for Rural Community Tourism, edited by the Ministry of Tourism. To view more of Michell’s photographs please visit his blog.

Alban Naffrechoux

A self-taught photographer, who first started shooting after his father offered him his first digital camera. It’s with this new toy that he started exploring the streets of Paris, his ‘village’, capturing everything in his passage. He began focusing on Parisian architecture to broaden his horizons and explore all types of photography. In 2007, he discovered South America while travelling to Argentina and Chile His trip brought him to ski in the mystical Andes, where he fell in love with the continent, its people and its culture. In 2011, he decided to leave his native Paris and his career in banking to continue exploring South America in a one year photographic travel. Upon his return, he worked for a short while as a photographer in Paris but ended up before long giving in to his lust for travelling. He now lives in Lima, Peru, where he works in tourism and continues to live his passion for photography. To view more of Alban’s photographs please visit his blog.

Rupert Medd

Rupert Medd was born in Vancouver, Canada and educated in England in a family of medics and explorers, the spicy ingredients of curiosity, environment, humanity and magic rooted early within him. Beach combing the Pacific shores, exploring traditional and evolving cultures, contesting history, searching for immense landscapes are a part of his poetic wonder. In support of his interests in travel and environmental issues, Rupert completed a PhD at Bristol University (2013) with a thesis titled, Travel writing and the Peruvian environment: testing nature and coloniality as told by over 200 years of humanitarian, revolutionary, scientific and environmental travellers. He is the author of several travel books concerning Cuban history and culture. He created, wrote, performed and produced 13 albums under the internationally known artist name of ‘Up, Bustle & Out’ for the influential label, Ninja Tune Records as part of the Bristol Sound.

Walter Wust

Wust began field work in the jungle of southwest Peru (Manu, Tampopata and Candamo) in 1985, an activity which took him to the rest of the country in the following decades. Since then he has published scientific pieces in several magazines around the world. After a few years and convinced about the need to appeal to the masses to change the notion people in the country had about nature and natural resources, he became involved in the production of informative pieces about Peru and its nature. The results: a long list of books and encyclopedia for the general public and oriented to the dissemination of natural resources of our territory as well as the respect towards the cultural identity of their inhabitants. More on this link.

The exhibition is free to attend and all are welcome. It will be running until August 2014.

Enjoy a sneak preview on the ILAS Facebook page.

Please fell free to leave your comments, suggestions and your feedback below.

We would love to hear from you!