Laura El-Tantawy photos

I am pleased to say that Laura's photos have arrived from London and we will be showing them just in time for the ending of the exhibition in Chung Li, Taiwan. For more photos please be sure to check out her website at http://www.lauraeltantawy.com/main.php.

I met Laura at the James Nachtwey and David Allan Harvey workshop in Bangkok, November 2007. Her photos are amazing, for me more like paintings than photography, truely innovative.

Thanks Laura!

Celebrating Life So Others Can Celebrate Too!

On March 15th, 2008 we held the opening of our exhibition and event at River Bar in Chung Li. Entertainment was provided by groups such as Foreign Affairs and THC, both foreign local Hip Hop bands whose enthusiasm and support in raising funds for Iraqi and Palestinian refugees was outstanding. Its important that young people become involved with protesting the continued invasion of Iraq. Bringing together young people, providing entertainment while informing them of the crisis wherein millions of Iraqis are desperately looking for something to celebrate is essential! To raise funds we held a raffle and sold photographs from Internationally celebrated photographers. We are now looking for spaces to hold our on going photo exhibition and event in Taiwan and globally.

Ricardo Garcia

I am pleased to announce a new addition to "Hidden In Plain Sight" PHOTOGRAPHER Ricardo Garcia from RGPRESS. Ricardo has generously donated 6 photos from Haiti. Thank you Ricardo!

Also I would like everyone to know that Wednesday March 19th is the 5th year anniversary of the Illegal Occupation and War in Iraq. To mark this horrible day Musician and composer Andre Van Rensburgh will be performing, A film about Iraq is showing and we are holding a candle light vigil at the River Restaurant in Chung Li, Taiwan.

Come and join us as we remember this day and all the victims of war!

Opening Night

Hidden In Plain Sight
A Benefit for Iraqi and Palestinian Refugees
March 15th at the River Gallery and Bar in Chung Li, Taiwan

We did it, and I am grateful to all those involved in making our opening night such a resounding success. We still have 2 weeks at the River and so far have already raised 1200US for our project of establishing a community learning center for Iraqi and Palestinian artists in the Middle East.
Please keep coming back for news and updates.
Kloie

Photos donated for Hidden In Plain Sight

Teasers of the PHOTOS donated

Hidden in Plain Sight event and exhibition is just one week away. I will be taking photos of the evenings and posting them here so keep coming back.

When I ask around here in Taiwan, most people (not all mind you) here are unaware that there are roughly 4,000,000 Iraqi and millions of Palestinian refugees living in camps across the Middle east. Its my hope that by drawing attention these facts that people here will join me in doing something to help before it becomes worse. Worse? What I mean is before the men languishing in camps get so frustrated that they join militias, or women who have no other means of survival turn to prostitution (which is already happening in Syria) and that children get an education.

I want to thank everyone who have donated their time and energy to making this happen. Tobie, Calvin, Erica, Genna, Kara, Kim, Eddie, and to the photographers, Katharina Hesse, Laura El-Tantwy, Gabor Teveli, Tobie Openshaw, James Chance, Paolo Picones, Rony Zakaria, David Bathgate, Susetta Bozzi, Lisa Hogben. To the entertainment for the event, Foreign Affairs, T.H.C., Tyler Daiken, Kurt Penny, Mark Goding, Thomas Levene, the Asmah Belly Dancers and our DJ for the evening Wes Hopkins.

Special thanks to Kim from the River whose generosity knows no bounds.