Michael Alberry

Michael Alberry is a British photographer, editor and educator.

His photographic work and research has led him through themes such as ritual, crowd psychology, and spirituality in long term documentary projects. He is primarily interested in that which is anthropological, using photography as a tool to create confluences and parallels between cultures in allegorical, and poetic terms.

Alberry was born in Canterbury, in 1992, and grew up in Swanage. He currently lives in Cornwall, UK.

Contact

0044 7429 361 606
mjalberry [at] gmail.com
Instagram: @michaelalberry

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Education

2019 / 2021 – MA Photography, University of West England, Bristol under Aaron Schuman, Shawn Sobers, Amak Mahmoodian

2011 / 2014 – BA (Hons) Documentary Photography – University of South Wales, Newport under Paul Reas, Lisa Barnard, Clive Landen, Ken Grant

2009 / 2011 – Art and Design – Arts University College, Bournemouth

Awards

2014 – Winner, Magnum Photos “30 Under 30”, UK

Selected Exhibitions

2024 — Un terrain commun, Galerie Sébastien Lepeuve, Paris, France
2024 — Dreamlines, Bristol Photo Festival, Mshed, Bristol
2024 — Assent, Fine Art Galerie, Traismauer, Austria
2023 — Dreamlines, Picturing Bristol Highstreets, Filton Avenue, Bristol. Curated by Bristol Photo Festival. Exhibition with Kirsty Mackay
2021 — Newport Live Lab, Diffusion Festival, Newport, Wales, group show with Bandia Ribeira, Clementine Scheidermann, Daragh Soden, Sebastian Bruno, Fergus Thomas, Lua Ribeira curated by Isaac Blease
2021 — cohort.photography online archive image sequencing tool, and book
2021 — Every Cross On Cross Mountain, Besides Press book launch, group show with Chris Hoare, Billy Barraclough
2021 — Police Portraits at Photobook Cafe, London, exhibition curated by VICE
2021 — Communions, a selection of prints at SIDE Gallery, Newcastle, student selection
2021 — Communions, Mass Energy exhibition and catalogue, Bibliotheka Kyiv, Peckham, London
2018 — Tumbling Towers, collaboration with Lua Ribeira, at Bristol Archives, UK
2017 — Solo exhibition, A Time to Dance, Kickplate Gallery, Abertillery, Wales
2014 — Magnum Photos “30 Under 30” Photographers for the series Forest, My Father. The Photography Show 2014, NEC Birmingham
2014 — BRIRISH, current British and Irish Photography, group show with Ken Grant, Paul Cabuts, Shane Lynam et al. Cantieri Culturali della Zisa, Palermo, Italy 
2014 — Independent A.I.R. 14, Silkeborg, Denmark
2014 — Young Photographers 2014, Fine Art Galerie, Traismauer, Austria
2014 — We Are This 2014, Cardiff
2014 — Magnum Photos Open For Business, student selection, exhibition at University of South Wales, Newport
2013 — Indepedent A.I.R 13, Silkeborg, Denmark
2012 — Mustering Ground, video projection, Slide Luck Pot Show, Dublin, Ireland

Selected Publications

2023 — Dreamlines, The Guardian
2022-Ongoing — Book dummy of Assent (working title)
2021 — Every Cross, book published by Besides Press
2020 — Communions, Fluter magazine, Nr.77 Wahrheiten/Truths
2020 — A Time to Dance, cover feature, Loupe Magazine, Issue 11: Belief, conversation with Harry Flook
2014 — A Time to Dance, featured in British Journal of Photography

Residencies

2023 — Photographer in residence, Picturing High Streets, Bristol Photo Festival / Historic England / Bristol City Council, Bristol, UK
2022 — Artist in residence, BoomSatuma, Bristol, UK
2021 — Newport Live Lab Residency, Diffusion Festival, Newport, Wales
2014 – The Independent AIR 14, mentorship with Jens Olof Lasthein, Silkeborg, Denmark
2013 – The Independent AIR 13, Artist in residence, Silkeborg, Denmark 

Workshop Participation 

2023 — FOTONOW, Re-framing Culture Programme, in association with Open Eye & Socially Engaged Photography Network, Plymouth UK
2018 – GHOST STORIES, photo workshop by Federico Clavarino and IC Visual Lab, interacting and reimagining objects from the British Empire and Commonwealth collection held at Bristol Archives. Bristol, UK

Selected Teaching / Talks / Lectures

2021 / 2023 — Associate Lecturer, BA Photography, UWE Bristol

2022 / 2023 — Associate Lecturer, BA Photography, University of Gloucestershire

2018 / 2020 — Visiting Tutor, Foundation Art and Design, Arts University Bournemouth

2024 — MA Photography, Kingston University London, 2 day workshop, photo book concepts and design
2024 — MA Photography, Falmouth, artist guest lecture
2023 — MA Photography, Kingston University London, 2 day workshop, photo book concepts and design
2022 — Guest lecture, University of Gloucestershire, BA Photography 
2022 — 5 day workshop ‘Gesture’, BA Documentary Photography & Print, BoomSatsuma Bristol, in collaboration with Besides Press / Tom Booth Woodger / Harry Flook 
2021 — Artist talk/in conversation with Rosie Dale, Red Eye Photography Network
2021 — conversation with Richard Renaldi Global Perspectives Symposium, University of the West of England, Bristol
2021 — Artist talk, University of Gloucestershire, BA Photography
2020 — Artist talk, Hereford College of Art, BA Photography
2014 — Artist talk, Reasons to Be Cheerful, publication launch with Miniclick Photography talks, Hackney Picture House, London
2013 — Artist talk, Independent A.I.R. 13, Silkeborg, Denmark