Priska C. Juschka Fine Art is pleased to present Under New York, Moroccan-born French photographer Touhami Ennadre’s first solo exhibition at the gallery. Ennadre’s black and white photographs investigate the human condition through the lens of vulnerability, suffering and mortality — giving visibility to the cyclical nature of life and death and emphasizing tragedy as a universal experience.

In this series of gelatin silver prints, Ennadre uses his Hasselblad camera to explore psychologically charged spaces ‘beneath’ the surface of New York City — depicting the daily struggle for survival as a shared experience in a community of those who neither seem to exist nor belong. His photographs range from portraits of homeless people on subways and streets to nocturnal observations in transvestite clubs, capturing sleeping people or dancing couples immersed in darkness. Despite their palpably adverse conditions, Ennadre reveals an ambiance of beauty and intimacy — connecting the viewer to a population of social castaways by shooting them at closest range, ultimately subjecting his audience to their situation.

Ennadre’s specific developing and printing processes involve the creation of multiple masks, allowing certain parts of the print to be exposed to light for varying lengths of time — resulting in a single, unique photograph, sculpted by the dramatic contrast of darkness and light. Conceptually and formally, for Ennadre, the rigorous act of capturing light is synonymous to unveiling the layers of humanity and stripping to its core, both the brightest and the darkest moments.

Touhami Ennadre was born in Casablanca, Morocco, and currently lives and works in Paris and Casablanca. His work has appeared, both nationally and internationally, in exhibitions at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York, NY, 2004 and 1996; Documenta 11, Kassel, Germany, 2002; Museum Villa Stuck, Munich, Germany, 2002 and 2001; Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, IL, 2001; P.S.1, MoMA, New York, NY, 2001; Haus der Kulturen der Welt, Berlin, Germany, 2001; Maison Européenne de la Photographie, Paris, France 1999; Museo de Arte Contemporaneo, Las Palmas, Spain, 1998; Tate Gallery, Liverpool, UK, 1995; Museum für Moderne Kunst, Vienna, Austria, 1985; and Musée d’Art Moderne, Paris, France, 1977. Ennadre has also been the recipient of numerous awards and grants including a UNESCO Aschberg Grant (Fondation Afrique en Création) and has participated in the International Studio & Curatorial Program (ISCP) and Villa Kujoyama (Kyoto, Japan), both sponsored by the Association Francaise d’Action Artistique.