Amanda Fernandez was born in 1985 and raised on the infamous Lancaster West Estate, West London. Gifted her very first 35mm Film Minolta Hi-Matic GF camera in ‘92 she developed an early interest in photography which was nurtured with the peripatetic travel her Mama has continued to encourage in more recent years.
From the age of 18 she worked in Photography starting as a Temporary Studio Photographer in Clerkenwell to Freelance Editorial photographer in New York until her 25th
With an intense obsession in brutalist architecture and youth sub- cultures such as early 90s Hip Hop and Trainers Amanda developed her style into capturing nostalgia, place + time through street photography. FDZ was created from her childhood nickname short for ‘Fernandez’ in Spanish.
Studying Art and Design through to Fashion BA at the University of the Arts London, upon Graduating in 2010 FDZ went into Teaching as a Specialist Art teacher for an Independent school in North West London, after an enriching yet creatively draining 4 years in the curriculum achieving Head of Arts, Amanda returned to the creative sector as a curator establishing FerArts in 2014 in response to the void in mainstream contemporary Art. She founded the Artist-led platform for socially engaged young + emerging creatives from diverse communities self - funded and collaboratively working with friends who were also emerging and aspiring artists and creatives growing to the 42 members collective it is 5 years later
Following her earlier serigraphy, FDZ is currently developing her 3rd series of Blocklife exploring the influences Social housing in densely populated communities affected by trauma and political campaign has on the creative practice of young people around the world. A comprehensive photographic study of international council states of mind through photojournalism and film
Timeline
2019 Creative Careers Key Speaker + The Barbican
2019 Consultant Youth Producer + The Design Museum
2018 Contributing Editor for I-D Magazine Radical Issue
2018 Co-curator for Youth After Grenfell x Juergen Teller photography project
2018 Head Curator for the LBG x Larache
Photography project in Morocco + Hassan Hajjaj
2017 Freelance curator for Art Meets Music + Relentless Soho London
2017 Freelance curator for Funny Tummy Solo show
Cartoons, Life and Fried Plantain + Republic Gallery London
2017 Freelance curator for Art Meets Music - Relentless Soho
2016 Lead artist and coordinator on Art on the Streets
Youth Homeless project + Centrepoint UK
2016 Curator for WEST16 Collaborative Art Auction
for Homeless Youth + Westbank Gallery London
Projects credited in
- ART ON THE STREETSA PROJECT IN COLLABORATION WITH CENTREPOINT UK RAISING AWARENESS OF YOUTH HOMELESSNESS. ARTIST LED WORKSHOPS WITH 8 YOUTH HOSTELS ACROSS LONDON ENGAGING WITH OVER 90 YOUNG PEOPLE OVER 8 WEEKS.
- SHUBBAK FESTIVAL 2019THIS SUMMER WE ARE COLLABORATING WITH CASABLANCA STREET ARTIST MEHDI ANNASI FOR SHUBBAK FESTIVAL 2019. WORKSHOPS ARE ON THE 13TH + 14TH OF APRIL COMPRISED OF MURAL AND GRAFFITI SKILLS ON WESTBOURNE GREEN. THE BIG MURAL PROJECT STARTS 24TH JUNE. MEHDI ANNASSI AKA MACHIMA WORKS ON LARGE-SCALE MURALS, COMICS, ZINES, ANIMATION, ILLUSTRATIONS AND STREET ART (STREET ART CARAVANE, JIDAR FESTIVAL, SBAGHA BAGHA FESTIVAL). HE IS KNOWN FOR HIS CONTRIBUTION AND INVOLVEMENT TO MOROCCO’S THRIVING COMIC ART S
- LBG x LARACHE4,000 MOROCCANS ARE THOUGHT TO LIVE IN NORTH KENSINGTON MOROCCANS FIRST STARTED COMING TO LONDON IN THE LATE SIXTIES AND EARLY SEVENTIES; MOST OF THOSE WHO SETTLED ALONG THE GOLBORNE ROAD CAME FROM LARACHE, A SMALL TOWN NEAR TANGIER. EVERYONE IN LARACHE KNOWS ABOUT LADBROKE GROVE. THE SMALL FISHING TOWN BOOMED IN ECONOMY OVER THE YEARS DUE TO PEOPLE SETTING UP BACK HOME; BUILDING HOMES AND THRIVING BUSINESSES. INITIALLY MOROCCANS WERE INVITED TO COME OVER TO THE UK, CONTRACTED TO WORK IN CATE
- FLYOVER ARTLAUNCH DATE: 3RD JUNE 2018 INITIATED IN 2016 AS AN INCENTIVE TO GET LOCAL CREATIVES TOGETHER AND CREATE A PUBLIC PIECE OF ART UNDER THE FLYOVER AS A SOLUTION TO BRIGHTENING UP THE DARK AND HEAVILY POLLUTED UNDERPASS AREA IN NORTH KENSINGTON. PERMISSION HAS BEEN GRANTED TO CURATE A PUBLIC ART GALLERY ACROSS THE 23 ACRES OF THE WESTWAY FLYOVER W10 LONDON. THE SUCCESSFULLY CROWD FUNDED PROJECT HAS BEEN DIVIDED INTO 3 PHASES INCLUDING PLANNING, PRODUCTION AND LAUNCH OVER 10 MONTHS.10
- ID x JUERGEN TELLERWORKING WITH 20 OF OUR YOUNGEST WEST LONDON CREATIVES ON A PERSONAL AND REFLECTVE PROJECT EXPLORING LIFE FOR YOUNG PEOPLE IN NORTH KENSINGTON POST GRENFELL TOWER FIRE. THIS WAS THE FIRST OF 3 PROJECTS WE CURATED TO REACH OUT TO THE LOCAL COMMUNITY PROVIDING THE YOUNGER GENERATION A PLATFORM TO EXPRESS AND PROCESS THEIR PERCEPTIONS, USING THEIR NARRATIVE AS A CREATIVE RESPONSE TO REBUILDING THE COMMUNITY AND CHANNELING THE ENERGY INTO HEALING AND EMPOWERMENT THROUGH LIVING IN THE SHADOW OF THE TR7
Work history
CREATIVE ART DIRECTOR, CURATOR & LEAD ARTISTFerArts
London, United KingdomFull Time
FerArts is an Artist Led Non - Profits Arts Organisation, curating collaborative exhibitions, developing community projects and supporting emerging creatives + artist management at 0% commission.
We promote Urban Art + Photography from Artists influenced by Uk Street Culture through innovative concept shows + platforming creatives 18-30.
As active Artists we follow and share a social ethos of crediting Artists for their work with #tagitdontownit and thrive in building inspiring networks within the art scene to support getting Artists paid #investinart
Skills
- Art
- Creative Direction
- Exhibition
- Organisation
- Art Curation
- Artist Management
- Networking
- Photography
- 35mm Photography
- Screen Print
Education
Master of Arts (MA), Cultural Studies/Critical Theory and AnalysisUniversity of The Arts London (UAL)
- London, United Kingdom
Bachelor of Arts (BA), Product Design and Development for the Fashion IndustriesUniversity of The Arts London (UAL)
- London, United Kingdom
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