Portraits of everyday life in southern Asia by documentary photographer Leo Manning-Jones will be on view at the launch of a new office space in Newman Street this Tuesday (17 February).
The public are invited to join the hosts of Newman House, a new co-working space in the heart of Fitzrovia, for a social evening to see the office space, meet the current community of full-time tenants and view the photographs by Leo Manning-Jones.
Manning-Jones is a professional photographer who travelled through India and Nepal capturing the everyday life of his subjects with these intimate portraits. This is his first London exhibition.
“The key to capturing a strong portrait means I have to relax and understand a photo’s subject. This is a technique that can’t be achieved from simply pointing a camera. I found it can only be achieved by spending time with the people in the images.
“I have found myself chatting with traders at a chai stand in the slums of Dharavi in Mumbai, or communicating through sand drawings with the sea gypsies of the Togean Islands of Sulawesi. The subtle nature of this photographic style allows for the capture of only a few precious shots of them.
“This keeps my work as honest and true to life as possible. I use only natural light and a 50mm lens that replicates the same perspective as the human eye,” says Manning-Jones.
Newman House is a co-working community and meeting area for the creative industries. The house manager told Fitzrovia News: “We work to build links between our members, hosting a range of regular social nights, film screenings, workshops and art events.”
Launch of Newman House with PORTRAITS by Leo Manning-Jones from 6.30pm to 10.30pm, 17 February 2015. The exhibition then continues for around three months and is available for viewing by appointment between 9am and 6pm Monday to Friday. Newman House, 27 Newman Street, London W1T 1AR.