Food As Medicine: 18 MAR - 12 APR
Astrid Schulz became fascinated with exotic food when she was a child. She was born in Hamburg – “The Gateway to the World”. Her favourite place in the city was the port and she has fond memories of early morning visits with her father. The fish market, the scent of cinnamon, pepper, nutmeg. Spices and food from all over the world.
These impressions have influenced Astrid throughout her life. Her journeys to distant countries, and cultures, are always linked to exploring traditional foods, and that became the main motivation for “Food as Medicine”. A collection of portraits from far (and not so far) places.
“With my portraits, I want to pay tribute to the people who are involved in food production on a small scale and make a living from the 'fruits of their labour'. We often forget how labour intensive it is to handcraft the food we eat, as it was traditionally done not so long ago. Especially in the western world, the connection between food and nature seems to have been lost. I wish to help to restore the relationship between consumers, and its actual source.”
Astrid Schulz is known for creative portraits and documentary work. She has lived and worked in London, since 1994. With a professional background as a costume designer for film & television, she studied photography at the London College of Communication from 2003 to 2005.
A passionate storyteller, Astrid is interested in exploring what makes a person within the community, by chronicling their idiosyncrasies and thoughts. Her background career in the film industry and her photography assignments mesh perfectly, and her documentary images were once described as 'well-composed stills, as if from a movie set.'
Astrid's work has received multiple awards; her work having been exhibited internationally, including in Vienna, Tbilisi, Phnom Penh, Palermo, Saarbrücken, Tokyo, Hanoi & Hue, St. Louis, London and elsewhere in the UK. In 2022, the images from 'Food as Medicine' were chosen by the leading Vienna Museum, Dom Museum Wien, as part of an exhibition with the title ‘Mahlzeit’ (‘Mealtime’).
Gallery 1885
16 Bowden Street
London SE11 4DS
Mon - Fri 11am - 8pm
Sat - Sun 10am - 6pm
The exhibition opens on 19 March 2024. The Open View is on 21 March @7pm and everybody is welcome to come along.