A new free exhibition, 'An Eye For Life: Photography by John Ferguson, ' will open this year, June 2024 at Christchurch Mansion and celebrates portraiture, identity, and home.
John Ferguson is an internationally established documentary, lifestyle, and portrait photographer who lives in Ipswich. His images tell stories which are approachable and intimate.
Sponsored by Kersey's Solicitors, this exhibition will showcase portrait projects that John has worked on over the years. The display will feature Ipswich's newly acquired Black Suffolk portraits funded by the Art Fund and The Friends of the Ipswich Museums. The series of 20 photographic portraits creatively explores the concept of home for a diversity of people from the African-Caribbean community who were born here or have made Suffolk their home.
This will be the first exhibition to showcase John's photography in Suffolk and explore his past career. Highlights will include his work as a senior photographer for a leading national Newspaper.
The exhibition covers his time working with celebrities, including Oasis, The Spice Girls, The Osbourne’s, Dolly Parton, Tom Jones, Michael Jackson, Bowie, and many more. It also looks at John's favourite personal photo projects, from the Forgotten African American Cowboys to street photography, Ipswich Banger Racers and his work with the Albino and Blind Associations.
John has also travelled extensively during his career, working for many leading national and international newspapers, magazines, and NGOs, including Oxfam, Save the Children, and Unicef. He has covered subjects ranging from the rise of the AIDS/HIV pandemic in Africa and Asia to feature stories from conflict zones in Afghanistan and Iraq.
His first major solo portrait exhibition, 'Black Britannia,' caught the eye of Downing Street. Then-Prime Minister Gordon Brown made an impassioned speech about John and his work before launching the exhibition at London City Hall in 2008.
The National Portrait Gallery in London also holds one of John's Portraits from his Black Britannia project in its permanent collection.
Ipswich's historic portraiture collection will also be highlighted in the Mansion, covering 500 years of art. A celebration of Suffolk portraits will show how humans have captured their identity through portraiture for hundreds of years.
Councillor Carole Jones, Ipswich Borough Council Portfolio Holder for Planning and Museums, says:
"We're excited to showcase John Ferguson's work at Christchurch Mansion. John defines the phrase home-grown talent, and his vibrant and compelling photographs wonderfully depict the people who call Suffolk home.
"We hope lots of people take the opportunity to see this fantastic free exhibition."
'An Eye For Life: Photography by John Ferguson' will be on display at Christchurch Mansion's Wolsey Art Gallery from Sunday, 2 June 2024, to Saturday, 27 April 2025.
www.johnfergusonphoto.com
Projects
- LIVING WITH ALBINISMHOW MUCH DO YOU KNOW ABOUT PEOPLE LIVING WITH ALBINISM? Albinism is caused by a defective gene that produces and distributes melanin (a dark pigment) throughout the body. It's passed down through generations in families, from parents to children. If you carry the albinism gene, it may be passed on to your child. The reduced melanin means albinos have extremely light skin and are prone to sunburn. Their eyesight is also very poor, verging on near blindness and light-coloured hair. Hollywood
- Black Britannia Portrait ExhibitionMy first major photographic project, entitled 'Black Britannia' celebrates 50 black pioneering Britons who had broken through the 'glass ceiling ' to forge a career, sometimes against the odds in their chosen fields. From female Firefighters to teachers, Ballet Dancers to surgeons and scientists and many more - the project was my positive response to, at the time, very negative press and public backlash the Black community routinely received. I had the pleasure of the then Pri
Work history
PhotographerJohn Ferguson Photography
London, United KingdomFull Time
www.johnfergusonphoto.com
Education
U
U
Masters of Letters in Fine Art Practice, PaintingUniversity of Suffolk
- United Kingdom
Masters in Fine Arts Practice