Medien

Elsa Bleda is a photographer, visual artist and filmmaker based in Johannesburg. Whilst studying music production, Bleda continued her passion for photography and film. After graduation, Bleda decided on moving forward with visual arts. Her Nightscapes Johannesburg series and dreamy landscapes gained her world wide recognition in both the film and commercial worlds. The subject matter, her home city Johannesburg, became a strong influence on her work as her bond with the city grew stronger. She has developed an unconventional yet strong visual identity over the years and her night works are so aptly described as post-future gothic, uniquely composed through the use of light as well as its absence, in juxtaposition to her daylight works which are often dreamy and softer with color plays and an eerie mood. Along the same timeline, Elsa started working on her Chinatowns of Africa project. Elsa had her first solo exhibition in Kalashnikovv Gallery in 2016, showcasing her Nightscapes: Johannesburg series. The exhibition was followed up by Nightscapes: Cape Town in Red Bull Studios. Bleda shifted her focus on technology in the meantime and has collaborated with South African tech companies for immersive experiences. She created her recent solo exhibition in 2019, Memories of Dreams in which the subject matter is a spiritual journey through the foggy mountains of Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa. The exhibition had augmented and virtual reality works developed, as well as a physical experience created to illuminate the atmosphere of the photographs exhibited. Elsa is currently working on her photography book to be released in 2022 and her film journey through art-house projects.