Photography exhibition: Chinese life in Sheffield by Gemma Thorpe

Sheffield Archives and Local Studies Library were awarded a grant by Arts Council England for a year-long project called ‘The City as Bricolage’. Three local photographers have worked with us to document different aspects of Sheffield for the city archives. The photographs will be on show at Sheffield Cathedral in three unique exhibitions during February and March.

Chinese life in Sheffield by Gemma Thorpe

2-8 March 2015

 

Sheffield has become home to many Chinese people over the years. Families and individuals arriving from Hong Kong in the 1960s and 70s established businesses across the city. Some of these former business owners feature in the portraits on show. The work combines these portraits with personal stories, alongside contextual images depicting daily life and cultural activities connected to the wider Chinese community.  

 

Gemma Thorpe is a Sheffield-based documentary photographer who also works with audio and video, using participatory techniques to generate protagonist-led stories. Her work focuses on youth issues, migration, identity and belonging. She has published and exhibited in the UK, China, Spain, Russia, Germany and the USA. She also runs participatory photography and digital storytelling workshops for young people and marginalised groups. Her work has seen her document migrant workers in China, homeless young people in Sheffield, the African American community in Missouri, USA, and co-produce photofilms with school children from Sheffield’s Roma community.

 

http://gemmathorpe.com/

Parker Transept

Sheffield Cathedral

Church Street, Sheffield, S1 1HA

 

 

 

Photo: Mrs Cheng, who came to Sheffield from Hong Kong in 1976.