RACHEL NIXON - EXPOSURE INTERNATIONAL OPEN CALL

Both an ending and a beginning, the image Resolution is a celebration of the peace that can be found in finally casting off a troubling situation.

On a beach at the height of summer, we find our subject on the cusp of letting in the light, anticipating life unshackled from the past, and the possibilities that lie ahead.

Resolution is the concluding image in my constructed reality series A/Part that imagines how it feels to live with a secret, and the resulting impact on personal identity.

The series charts a path from pain to surviving to thriving through a succession of 12 staged images. They offer a visual interpretation of a journey through feelings including difference, shame, isolation, self-sufficiency, acceptance and, finally, resolution.

Using a constant—if sometimes abstract or fragmented—female subject, A/Part reflects the push and pull between interior and exterior life. As the sequence progresses, the images shift between movement and stillness, and between blur and focus, mirroring alternating states of turmoil and clarity. The colour palette itself evolves, becoming warmer and more vivid as the narrative advances, and as resolution nears.

A/Part invites the viewer to consider their own inner world and how they themselves approach the difficulties we all carry within us. More broadly, the series is intended as a reminder that each of us is dealing with our own struggles—despite what we may project—and as a call for kindness towards ourselves and others.

With gratitude to actor Kharah Black for her collaboration.

BIOGRAPHY

I am a British-Canadian fine art photographer—and former journalist—living and working in Vancouver.

Inspired by the potential of natural forms to offer unexpected perspectives, I use strategies such as abstraction, fragmentation and multiple exposure to bring these to the viewer’s attention. In my practice, I also develop constructed realities exploring themes such as secrecy and isolation. Throughout my work runs a deep appreciation for colour and structure.

In 2019, I graduated with honours from the VanArts professional photography program. Since then, my work has been exhibited internationally and received a number of accolades, including a Julia Margaret Cameron Award.

Before moving full time into visual art, I had a 20-year career as a digital journalist and news executive in the UK, US and Canada for organizations including the BBC, CBC and Microsoft. I hold a first-class honours degree in Modern Languages from the University of Oxford.