In 2012 an artwork of mine entitled Endangered Species was selected for the Kathmandu International Art Festival. I spent a month in and around Kathmandu during this event and fell in love with the country.
In the spring of 2013 I began a short term consultancy with the Finnish Consultancy Group on an environmental project and spent a total of 2 and a half months in Nepal. With little time or energy to go out with my DSLR, I shot exclusively with my iPhone 4s, all developing happened on the phone, and pictures were uploaded to Facebook for my friends around the world to see. I worked almost exclusively in Black and White and the immediacy and convenience of using the phone produced pictures that would have been very difficult to get with any other camera.
The quality of these images surprises me. The camera is no bigger than my fingernail, and yet there is something very wonderfully old school about them.
I engage my subject by entering into a conversation which is not based on mutual language of the tongue, but mutual language of the heart. With the voice and body language and lots of humor you can reach everyone, and there is nothing more satisfying in this world than the power to communicate with the people we encounter.
Gary Wornell - Helsinki - May 30 2013
Gary Wornell is a Canadian born artist who emigrated to Europe in 1969. In 1976 having obtained a B.A. in Art and Design at Staffordshire University he was awarded a New Craftsman's Grant from the British Crafts Council. In 1995 he moved to Finland where he established a ceramic studio and gradually moved into graphic design, digital art and photography.
Awards 2012 Arts Council of Finland - Travel Grant - Tanzania Print Workshops in Arusha and Kondoa
2011 Nominee Winner International Color Awards - Photography Masters Cup – People
2010 The Arts Council of Häme Arts Award - November 2010
2010 Nominee Winner International Color Awards - Photography Masters Cup – People
2009 Shortlisted and Honorable Mention Winner, LICC - London International Creative Awards 2009, UK
2009 Winner - LACDA 2009 Top 40 International juried competition, Los Angeles Center for Digital Art, USA.
2008 Finnish Cultural Foundation - Hämeenlinna Region. One year working grant
2008 PX3 Prix de la Photographie de Paris - (Human Condition Competition) - Honorable Mention
2007 Highly Commended Prize Winner - Travel Photographer of the Year 2007 (One Planet, Many Lives Category)
2007 Winner - Single Image B&W Category - Camera Arts - Collector Showcase Edition (USA)
2007 PX3 Prix de la Photographie de Paris - Honorable Mention
