Faces of Humanity exhibition at the NZ Parliament
Faces of Humanity is a documentary collection with little or no changes to the actual scene. I asked people to look straight into my camera, so these are not candid photos. The strength of this series is in giving viewers a rare opportunity to connect with people in their natural environment. This diverse group of people serves as a timely reminder that, despite our many cultural differences, we can unite as a community through the power of photography.
This is a celebration of our shared values: hard work, the importance of family, and caring for each other as humans. I hope that through these photos viewers learn more about people with different backgrounds from around the world: Ruanda, Morocco, Tanzania, Cairo, Jerusalem and New Zealand. The show offers opportunities for people to contemplate, absorb, and increase their awareness of the complexities of human experience. Each photograph reveals an individual with a story that has shaped their life.
We connect with others by making eye contact – reading their expressions, feeling their emotions and getting a glimpse of their souls. I want viewers to form meaningful connections with these people: to see them as human beings, not simply subjects in front of a camera. I purposely created portraits that allow viewers to make direct eye contact with each person, so visitors can form emotional connections with these individuals.
In sharing this portfolio, I encourage viewers to show empathy: to accept others and to recognise the value of cultural diversity. We would all experience an enhanced sense of community if we took the time to appreciate interactions which allow us to discover the world beyond our familiar boundaries. We are all wonderfully unique, yet, at the same time, we are deeply similar.
I am presenting these photographs in timeless monochrome, to ensure consistency and flow of the series amidst the chaos and clutter of the busy environment. The portraits are crisp and sharp, to allow the details to inspire the imagination and to evoke emotions. My aim is to create an authentic portfolio of diverse individuals in a foreign land. My goal is to tell their stories using a clear narrative style and enduring quality.
Exhibition Details
Click here to see the wonderful exhibition clip!
Where: Parliament Building, the Executive Wing (Beehive), Te Papakura, Level 2, Wellington
Dates: May 12 – June 15 , Tuesday-Saturday 10am-4:30pm
Access via the Beehive main entrance, through security screening.
Kindly sponsored by EPSON New Zealand
Tires – Morocco
Clyde Scott – Auckland
Frank – Auckland
The barber – Auckland
Shish Kebab – Cairo
Knife sharpener – Morocco
Man with a Hat – Jaffa
Shells – Taranaki
The Library – Auckland
Boy and his Eel – Taranaki
The Fish Merchant – Akko
The Counter – Akko
Blue Collar – Jaffa
Dead Chickens – Morocco
The Garment Merchant – Jerusalem
The Paper – Jerusalem
Souvenirs Galore – Jerusalem
The Fist – Jerusalem
MAGGI – Morocco
Bric-à-brac Rwanda
Tutsi Girl – Rwanda
Men with canes – Rwanda
Woodwork – Rwanda
The Barber – Morocco
Arthur was sitting and waiting for customers in the same barber shop that his father established 60 years ago in Melbourne. It took three visits to the store and $100 to convince Arthur to have his portrait taken. I then had my haircut… AIPP Silver with Distinction Award.
Boys and Cart – Jerusalem
John and Rebecca – Auckland
Queen Deemi – Auckland
Just Bagels – Jerusalem
Essential Oils – Jerusalem
Wayne and Jennie – Auckland
Sitting on a Cart – Cairo
Man with a Beany – Jerusalem
Backgammon – Jerusalem
Man with a Ring – Alexandria
KAKAO – Jerusalem
SINGER – Jerusalem
Father and Son – Jerusalem
Three Brothers
Hubble-bubble – Alexandria
Bananas – Cairo
Two Men – Cairo
Sitting by the Cross – Alexandria
Scales – Jerusalem
The Department Store – Jerusalem
Money Changer – Jerusalem
Boy with a cart – Jerusalem
Souvenir Shop – Jerusalem
Mono Rhino – Jaffa
ITANGA – Rwanda
Dying the Wool – Morocco
Magazine Shop – Jerusalem
Delinquents – Auckland
Just Beads
Man with a leather Jacket – Auckland
The Donkey – Morocco
Brass and Copper – Morocco
Shoe Shining – Rwanda
The Fly – Egypt
All the presidents – Egypt
Man and his Dog – Auckland
Standing Proud – Morocco
Cowhide – Tanzania
The Hut – Tanzania
Timid – Tanzania
Standing in the Rain – Tanzania
Joy – Tanzania
Maasai Women – Tanzania
Sewing Machine – Cairo
Sitting by the hut – Tanzania
Sitting Down – Tanzania
The Look – Cairo
Shoe Laces – Cairo
The Maasai – Tanzania
Man with an Apron – Morocco
(c) Ilan Wittenberg 
(c) Ilan Wittenberg
(c) Ilan Wittenberg 
(c) Ilan Wittenberg
(c) Ilan Wittenberg
Just a huge WOW! Those are awesome Ilan! What a wonderful interesting world…
Sorry Ilan. I most sincerely apologise that I missed your RSVP date. Congratulations on what appears to be an amazing concept and exhibition. I am sure it will be a huge success.
Kindest regards
John
Thanks for sharing this, I love the boy with his Eel.
Insightful and thought provoking to see in person. I wondered about the lives these people live, their struggles and their beliefs.
I wondered about the conversations that Ilan had with them.
They portrayed a sense of tiredness and of being worn down by the challenges life brings. But I realised eventually, that it is weariness, defensiveness, curiosity and pride.
Just as we wonder who they are, they; in that moment are wondering about the future of that photo. Who will see me? What will they think?