Jen Bekman Gallery presents Mercy Mercer, an exhibition of photographs by Derek Henderson.

Mercy Mercer, Henderson’s photographic exploration of the Waikato River region in New Zealand, is both seductive and insightful. An area steeped in history, the river and the region serve not only functional purposes but also fulfill spiritual needs for local tribes. The exhibition includes sweeping landscapes paired alongside intimate portraits of the river’s inhabitants, and documentation of the ways they use and connect with the land. Blending the majestic with the ordinary, the exhibition’s twelve images interact to form parallel portraits balancing form and content, of a land rooted in history and tradition, yet actively changing and evolving. The empathy in the portrayal of the river and its neighbors remains a constant thread throughout the work.