In hiding

Damian Chrobak: City Chameleon

City Chameleon
 

Coincidence and accident is the main subject in Damian Chrobak’s photography. His photographs offer the insight into everyday events, they become the evidence of normally unnoticeable stories in which the essence and poetry of live itself is hidden. Damian’s photographs point out what already exist, they put into visual form events and everyday situations that are unnoticed and overlooked, and they pin down the essential substance of it.

Those carefully observed incidental situations or gestures isolated and framed by the camera become significant and are saved from fading into the past as quickly as the moment in which they happened. Sometimes those short stories contain a small narrative that is even more significant due to its briefness and unnoticeable for most of us to even quality. Those ordinary, though remarkable narratives become clear to us only by being pointed at by Damians camera. 

Damian Chrobak studied at Warsaw Academy of Photography until 2004 when he decided to come to London where he still lives and works.

One of his first projects in London was taking photographs of well known Polish musicians such as: Kult, Voo Voo, Pizdzama Porno, Anna Maria Jopek, Maciej Malenczuk, Myslovitz, The Poise Rite, and Fisz. He would photograph the gig first, and then take more personal backstage portraits of the famous musicians.

Even though he stills photographs gigs, his photographical practise is evolving from portraits of mainstream musicians towards less known more alternative and independent actors and musicians such as soprano singer Aleksandra Kurzak, whom he photographed backstage after her concert at the Covent Garden opera.

His main passion though is street photography. He melts into the London environment like a city chameleon. As far as colour is concerned he is very traditional, everything is acceptable as long as it is black and white. He learned his skills at University of the Arts, London; and in London College of Communication where he finished a one-year black and white photography course. Beside an individual exhibition at Titchy Gallery in London he was also part of many group shows. Damian was also invited to take a part in project Portrait- Young Polish Artist in New Europe, whose final exhibition took place in City Hall in Lonodn. In February 2009 he will have his first main show in Poland at Melon Gallery in Warsaw.  

Damians Chrobak photographs were also published in first edition of I Heart Magazine which is strictly dedicated to street photography. Along with a few blogs and showcasing his work at flicker his main work can be seen at www.damianchrobak.com. One of his ambitions is to become one of the In-public photographers, a group that is the main streetphotographers association in the world.

Coincidences happen all the time without a doubt, but we never pay enough attention to see them all. Damian does it for us.

text by Elzbieta Sobolewska | photos by Damian

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