Joy Wai Gallery is proud to celebrate its grand opening by inviting international photographers to challenge themselves for its inaugural exhibition, Whose Self-Portrait? The Subject Behind the Camera. This group exhibition will comprise a collection of images from a selection of contemporary photographers that will explore the varied aspects of self-portraiture in a fresh and creative manner.

Artists are requested to submit a pair of images for this project. The first image should follow the established tradition of self-portraiture, it should be a representation of the physical self, an expression of your exterior. The second image allows a more fluid interpretation, somehow reflecting your interior nature, either as a portrayal of your inner self, or how you present your artistry to the world. You are invited to submit either one or two of such pairings.

Through these pairings, we seek to enrich the discourse of self-portraiture, as well as provide new insights into each artist’s “oeuvre” by confronting the play between an inner landscape and a physical representation, revealing the eye behind the lens.

In a visual culture such as photography, we cannot ignore how the physical self is represented, but how does it relate to the rest of the work we produce? What is the difference in how photographers portray themselves and how they depict the world through their art? Will the images complement or contrast each other? Through your submissions, we hope to explore these questions and the relationship between interior and exterior self in photography.

The vision of Joy Wai Gallery is to showcase to a wide audience the finest emerging and confirmed talents in contemporary photography and visual arts. The gallery will open its doors to the public on December 16th, 2010 in Downtown New York. Whose Self-Portrait? The Subject Behind the Camera will be on display through January 31st 2011.

Thank you for your submission, we look forward to your participation!