26 April – 9 June 2012
In After the New Man, Dana Popa revisits her homeland, Romania, and the generation who were born just before or after the fall of the communist regime. This body of work is an intimate portrayal of youth and the fleeting memories of a bygone era that still permeate the individuals and landscape.
Traces of Popa’s own childhood pervade not only through the blocks of flats and the cars from another era, but in the mindsets of old and young. This legacy of the recent past and the ubiquitous Western-inspired ideals of lifestyle and consumerism construct a portrait of a displaced generation, struggling to reconcile their place in history. Our Father Ceausecu brings together Popa’s own work with her old family photographs and remnants from the past.
About Dana Popa
Popa (b. 1977) studied a Masters degree in Documentary Photography at the London College of Communication. Her work focuses on contemporary social issues with a particular emphasis on human rights. ‘Not Natasha’ was Popa’s first major body of work, which looked at the effects of sex trafficking on girls and families in The Republic of Moldova who had firsthand experience of it. The project has been exhibited around the UK, Europe and US and was also published as a book (Autograph ABP, 2009). Popa is based in London.
Related Events
Artist’s talk with Dana Popa – Tuesday 1 May, 6.30pm
This exhibition is supported by the Romanian Cultural Institute.
For further information and images contact lauren [at] foto8.com, 020 7253 8801