Auckland Festival of Photography is delighted to present a conceptual documentary series of black and white portraits, landscapes and mirages by James Whitlow Delano as part of the 'Believe' [whakapono] theme.
James has travelled extensively as a photojournalist and oftens covers stories of human interest of major news stories, he has been widely published internationally. Rainforest Sentinels is a reverential work integrating portraits of indigenous citizens in the many countries he worked on the series in, with the native rainforests and habitat where they live, with a conscious message of ancient wisdom and knowledge being connected to the natural world. It also acknowledges references to the spirits of the forest, land and nature which can be found in most ancient cultures, this work presents the viewer with a ambiguous commentary on the unseen, unspoken, the mystical world of native forests globally.
James has lived in Asia for over 20 years. His work has been awarded internationally: the Alfred Eisenstadt Award (from Columbia University and Life Magazine), Leica’s Oskar Barnack Emerging Award, Picture of the Year International, NPPA Best of Photojournalism, PDN and others for work from China, Japan, Afghanistan and Burma (Myanmar), etc..
His first monograph book, Empire: Impressions from China and work from Japan Mangaland and Selling Spring: Sex Workers Story have shown at several Leica Galleries in Europe. Empire was the first ever one-person show of photography at La Triennale di Milano Museum of Art. The Mercy Project / Inochi his charity photo book for hospice received the PX3 Gold Award and the Award of Excellence from Communication Arts. His work has appeared in magazines and photo festivals on five continents from Visa Pour L’Image, Rencontres D’Arles; to Noorderlicht, including their “Sweet and Sour Story of Sugar” project. His new monograph book, Black Tsunami: Japan 2011 (FotoEvidence), documenting the Japan tsunami and nuclear crisis, was released in 2013. Delano is a grantee for the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting and received the 2014 Festival PhotoReporter in Saint-Brieuc, France grant for work documenting the destruction of equatorial rainforests and human rights violations of indigenous inhabitants living there.
Rainforest Sentinels series will be shown, in part also, at the Gantry area, Silo Park, Wynyard Quarter from 27 May to 14 June. Outdoors, 24/7, free. Thanks to Eke Panuku Development Ltd.
