Gallery Geranmayeh is proud to present a solo exhibition of works by artist and Westport resident, Stephen Wilkes. Wilkes is a renowned international photographer who focuses on artistic portrayal of both current and historical transformational places and events. The exhibition will feature new works as well as Wilkes’s photographs of China, his critically acclaimed Ellis Island images and other works from his established portfolio.

“We are excited to present Stephen’s amazing images that capture the essence and dynamic meeting of history and culture,” said the director and owner Vida Geranmayeh-Florian of Gallery Geranmayeh. “His work combines realistic imagery with emotional insight that is both visually astounding as well as personally relatable.”

About the Exhibit:

The exhibition will present works from Wilkes’s journey throughout China. Stephen Wilkes has pictured a nation amidst striking transformation.  Focusing on both rural and industrial settings—and the increasing number of areas where the two collide—the artist draws our attention to a changing way of life. While including a human element in his photographs and conscious of the individual lives affected by such a riptide of industrialization, the artist hopes to remind his audience of the real implications of such drastic economic and social shifts. At the same time show the incredible breath of this beautiful land.

Part of the installation will also highlight Wilkes’s acclaimed series of images of the south side of Ellis Island: the ruined landscape of the infectious disease and psychiatric hospital wings, where children and adults alike were detained before they could enter America.  Through his photographs and video work, Wilkes has inspired and helped secure $6 million in funding towards the restoration for the south side of the island.

About Stephen Wilkes

Stephen Wilkes’s photographs have been exhibited in galleries and museums and featured in publications such as Vanity Fair, Time, Life, The New York Times Magazine, London Sunday Times, Sports Illustrated, and Travel + Leisure.  His work is represented in the permanent collections of the International Museum of Photography in the George Eastman House, Houston Museum of Fine Arts, Dow Jones Collection, Griffin Museum of Photography, Jewish Museum of New York, The James A. Michener Art Museum, Library of Congress and numerous private collections.