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Photographer Gaye Bentham has been captivating the hearts of art lovers with a stunning collection of colourful images of her journeys around the world in the first solo exhibition of her work.
The former corporate communications manager traded in her desk job for a life behind the lens, snapping pictures of her sunny days on the island along with various historical sites, natural landscapes and heart-warming portraits during her trips across Asia, the US and the UK.
The photography exhibition entitled Journeys, curated by Stafford & Sharabi at In Touch Integrated Chiropractic Spine Centre in Janabiya, features her actual voyage through photography, from when it started as a hobby and turned into a full blown professional passion.
The 67-year-old Amwaj Islands resident said: “I have called this exhibition Journeys as it is a sampling of my work during my travels to various locations. It also reflects my journey in photography. This is my first solo exhibition and hopefully not my last!
“The exhibition launch was really good. We had live music, a good turn out and a great atmosphere. It was such an honour for me that people came to see my work.”
The white walls of the serene clinic feature an eclectic mix of portraits including children peering out of a house in Kerala, beautiful landscapes such as an ancient chatri at an Indian tiger sanctuary and even an elaborated painted house in the UK. The 50 exhibited images include some taken during her stay in Bahrain as well as her adventures in India, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Morocco, Europe and the US.
Her keen eye and love for photography shines through her work and it stems from her first trip to Cambodia during a photography course called ‘Creative Escape’.
Gaye said: “I have always loved photography. I suppose also because I’m quite an insular person and I do get wrapped up in it. I love to just go out on my own and observe things. I see these amazing things all around me, everywhere and when you have a camera in your hands I think it helps you really focus as well.
“I can become completely immersed in my surroundings when out with my camera. I love that I now look at the world in a more thoughtful and appreciative way.
“The first photography course that I did was at Open University learning the basics of how to use a digital single-lens reflex camera. It was fantastic just to learn about aperture, shutter speed and so on. But the magic happened when I signed up for a ‘Creative Escape’ photography holiday in Cambodia.
“It was a great experience. It was a small group of women, all of us starting out in photography. That holiday was mind-blowing. The ‘Creative Escape’ tutor was excellent and had us shooting in manual from day one. It was a really good learning experience and started me on the road to improving my skills.
“I met amazing people there who I still keep in touch with and we still go on creative escapes away together.”
Cambodia left her craving for more and soon she was jet-setting to different locations in search of another picture perfect moment.
“I have been on a couple of other ‘Creative Escape’ holidays since then, one in Marrakech in 2014 and one earlier this year to the Indian state of Kerala. They offer a fun learning environment with a great group of people, good accommodation and good food. Even though I am now at a more advanced level, I always learn something new on these courses.”
Gaye doesn’t have a preference or set picture style as she sees the beauty within every location. She said: “India lends itself to street scenes and portraits, Bahrain to landscapes and architecture and I have just returned from a three-week trip to Tanzania which was mainly about the wildlife. I love it all.
“Tanzania was a safari holiday with a friend that I met on the first ‘Creative Escape’ course in Cambodia. We are both passionate about photography so I have come back with quite a lot of photos!” According to Gaye, she would love to stage another exhibition in the near future, perhaps a smaller one focusing on one subject such as Bahrain’s architecture or African wildlife.
While Gaye has exhibited her works at different galleries in Bahrain, including Anamil Gallery in Saar in 2013 and Al Riwaq Gallery in Adliya, in June 2014, this was her first time showcasing in such a setting.
Her curator and senior exhibition specialist, Frances Stafford, said: “The beauty of showing Gaye’s work in a new setting, The InTouch Clinic, allows for different people other than regular gallery-goers to see the richness of her images.
“I am very inspired by her photographic journeys as well. She constantly travels to push herself to reach new goals with her practice, whether it is to capture portraits of people she would usually have a hard time approaching, or to photograph some of the last wild chimpanzees in Africa. The beauty of each of these experiences is translated through her art and I think it will inspire those who care to take the time to look at it.”
The exhibition is open until the end of this month and enthusiasts can purchase a prized print from BD45 for an 8 x 12 inch print (mounted and framed) to BD55 for a 20 x 30 inch canvas and BD65 for an 18 x 12 inch print, mounted and framed. Each image is limited to 10 prints.
* For details on the exhibition, contact the clinic on 34102553 or visit her site for information on her work at https://www.gayebentham.com
