Nachson Mimran: life through the lens of a creative activist, at Leica Gallery London

Leica Gallery’s ‘Nachson Mimran: Photographs from the Decade that Changed My Life’ is an intimate narrative spanning diverse communities, landscapes, and lives (until 11 February)

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Nachson Mimran photography: Zineb Boujema, Nina Dobrev, Julianne Hough, and Amine Bendriouich in a garden, South of France, July 2021
Nachson Mimran, ‘Zineb Boujema, Nina Dobrev, Julianne Hough, and Amine Bendriouich in a garden, south of France, July 2021‘
(Image credit: Courtesy of Nachson Mimran)

In the heart of Mayfair, London, Leica Gallery’s showcase by photographer Nachson Mimran journeys through an array of communities and landscapes in a cultural tapestry of imagery. It’s the first solo show for Mimran – creative executive officer of to.org, a philanthropic collective of creative activists – and explores a key period for the photographer. 

Football practice, Kyebando, Uganda, April 2018

Football practice, Kyebando, Uganda, April 2018

(Image credit: Courtesy of Nachson Mimran)

Titled ‘Nachson Mimran: Photographs from the Decade that Changed My Life’, the retrospective starts with imagery from 2016, inviting the viewer to follow the photographic narrative through to 2023. Nachson used his cherished Leica Monochrom cameras to capture diverse landscapes and lifestyles, across Bangladesh, Uganda, Ecuador, Senegal, the Swiss Alps, and more.

An odyssey with Nachson Mimran

Tribesmen from Turkana, Kenya. TO:Foundation has partnered with Learning Lions to support this community, massively affected by climate change. Kenya, November 2022

Tribesmen from Turkana, Kenya. TO:Foundation has partnered with Learning Lions to support this community, massively affected by climate change. Kenya, November 2022

(Image credit: Courtesy of Nachson Mimran and Leica Gallery)

The 18 prints curated by Lou Proud of Leica Gallery include intimate family portraits; group photos at refugee settlements; a portrait of  Manari Ushigua, the leader of the Sápara Nation in Naku in the Ecuadorian Amazon; football training in Uganda; and creative activists from Kyebando packing hundreds of waste plastic bags into a bottle to create a bottle brick in Mauritius.

Nachson Mimran & his daughter in an elevator in Gstaad, Switzerland, October 2022

Nachson Mimran and his daughter in an elevator in Gstaad, Switzerland, October 2022

(Image credit: Courtesy of Nachson Mimran)

Mimran’s childhood in West Africa inspired a passion for nature and humanity that guides his creative work and is evident in his photography, which simultaneously encourages and inspires solutions for the world's most pressing climate and humanitarian concerns.

Young man with handmade frames in Kyebando, Uganda, April 2018

Young man with handmade frames in Kyebando, Uganda, April 2018

(Image credit: Courtesy of Nachson Mimran)

‘I’m honoured to collaborate with Leica on this exhibition, my first solo show, and to be sharing moments captured over the last decade on my treasured Leica Monochrom cameras.’ Said Mimran. ‘I hope that visitors to the exhibition can see my intentional use of art, culture, and creativity as a Trojan horse encouraging conversations about important topics; climate change, displacement, our attitudes to waste, and the Sustainable Development Goals.’

Footballer, Patrice Evra, photographed through Extreme E tyre in Neom, Saudi Arabia, March 2023

(Image credit: Courtesy of Nachson Mimran)

‘Nachson Mimran: Photographs from the Decade that Changed My Life’ is on until 11 February 2024.

Leica Gallery London
64-66 Duke Street, W1K 6JD

to.org

leica-camera.com

Tianna Williams
Staff Writer

Tianna Williams is Wallpaper’s staff writer. When she isn’t writing extensively across varying content pillars, ranging from design and architecture to travel and art, she also helps put together the daily newsletter. She enjoys speaking to emerging artists, designers and architects, writing about gorgeously designed houses and restaurants, and day-dreaming about her next travel destination.