In beautiful portraits of dignity and joy, photographer Wyatt Gallery shows us the reality of Haitian living nearly a year after what is arguably the worst natural disaster in modern history, the devastating January 12, 2010 earthquake. An exhibition of Wyatt Gallery’s photography will display at the Umbrage Gallery in DUMBO from January 6 through March 31 2011, with an opening reception on January 6 from 6 – 8 PM.
Of the 1.5 million Haitians who lost their homes in the 7.9 magnitude earthquake, the majority still live in makeshift tent cities, and the promised billions in foreign aid have yet to materialize. While peacekeepers and aid donors have budgets that overshadow the Haitian government’s, a lack of coordination in their efforts has hampered the country’s recovery efforts. Tent Life: Haiti calls for a renewal in global attention and aid, while focusing on the resilient spirit of the people most affected by the disaster.
A book release of Tent Life: Haiti will be published April 2011 with an essay by Edwidge Danticat. 100% of the royalties from the book will benefit three Haitian organizations, the J/P Haitian Relief Organization, Healing Haiti and the Global Syndicate.
In March 2010, Wyatt Gallery and six other artists formed the Le Sét Collective and travelled to Port-au-Prince, Haiti, to volunteer with Healing Haiti and document the widespread devastation. Among the people of Haiti, the artists were amazed to discover an intense sense of hope and resilience, and, at times, joy. On September 20, 2010, Gallery returned to Haiti to continue photographing the massive tent cities that had emerged, creating Tent Life: Haiti to document his experience and help raise awareness and funding.
Wyatt Gallery is an American photographer who has received numerous awards, such as the Fulbright Fellowship, the PDN 30, and 25 Under 25, Up and Coming American Photographers by Duke University. His photographs have been exhibited throughout the U.S. and are in major private and public collections such as the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, the George Eastman House, and American Express. He was an adjunct professor at the University of Pennsylvania and has been published in The New York Times, Geo Saison, Esquire, Mother Jones, and Newsweek, amongst other international publications. Gallery is a self-proclaimed nomad who loves photographing spiritual sites throughout the world.
For more information see www.umbragegallery.com
Contact: 212.796.2707 ext. 2 / info@umbragebooks.com
