A stunning array of photographs taken of Ugandan children by a Sussex Photographer are to go on display and will aim to give much needed support to their community.
The photographs are among a number of others that have been taken during 35 year old Marie Stone’s worldwide travels over the last 20 years from locations including Botswana, New Zealand, South Africa, Japan and China.
Marie, who has lived in Hailsham all her life, is better known for her 17 year career with Madame Tussauds, where her images are used by the sculptors to create the life-size figures that are displayed within the Madam Tussauds attractions worldwide.
The exhibition named ‘Beauty is Within’, which coincides with Marie’s first book of the same name, features the array of images taken of children and families from Kabubbu, Uganda. The Kabubbu community was created and is run by a local charity. Over the last ten years, the Quicken Trust developed the village from nothing and now has a population of many thousands.
Marie took the images of the children to help with the charity’s promotions, and to also capture the amazing natural beauty within the human being for the world to see. 50% of the amount raised from the sales of the images will go direct to the Quicken Trust.
Marie commented; “Being a photographer has a way of reminding me how amazing life is to be living in the moment. It is impossible to overstate the importance of the communication between photographer and subject. This goes far beyond spoken language which is often not available in foreign locations and relies heavily on sympathetic eye-contact and body-language.
She added; “I am not a reportage photographer, nor am I a travel photographer I am here to capture the beauty in this world and not capitalise on the misfortune of others.”
Ends.
Notes for Editors:
The exhibition is running from 6th to 31st July 2010 at Gallery North, Hailsham, East Sussex, BN27 1AX.
For interviews with Marie Stone and to broadcast from the exhibition on the VIP opening evening,
please contact Paul Gibson at the Sussex Press Agency on 07970 245934.