Who is Mark Chew?
I was born in Nairobi to an English family and moved to Australia in 1985 after an apprenticeship in London with some of the leading advertising photographers of the era.
Since then my photography has taken me all over the world with commercial assignments in places such as India, Uganda, Tanzania, Vanuatu, Viet Nam, Laos, Fiji, Papua New Guinea and the geographical and emotional heart of my work, Kenya.
However, it’s my pro bono work with the not-for-profit sector and non-government organisations that align best with my personal values; I endeavour to tell visual stories with authenticity and truthfulness, traits that are becoming threatened by world of AI and fractured attention spans. As aid and development budgets are shattered, our concern for the most vulnerable, must go beyond our local communities, and into the global sphere.
What would you do differently from what you do now?
I would have learned to play the guitar (for personal satisfaction only!) … It’s something that I’ve been promising myself for over 30 years and never got around to. And I would be less tolerant of intolerance.
Who inspires you and why?
Photographically- Sebastião Salgado. Undoubtably the greatest photographer of my generation.
Philosophically – Tim Minchin. Not so much for his music, but for his calling out of bullshit, his hilarious attacks on the artifice, and the joy he finds in the rational world.
What would you do to make a difference in the world?
Advocate for truth. Speak up against injustice. Make more authentic and more powerful photographs. Share them as widely as possible. Live more simply.
Favourite holiday destination and why?
Wherever our old sailing boat is moored, Tasmania, Tunisia, Tobago? Living aboard a simple boat is a therapy in itself. The location of the boat is a secondary benefit.
When friends come to town, what attraction would you take them to, and why?
I would take them for a walk through Princess Park and then up Sydney Road, Brunswick, to our favourite Phở shop. We would sit in the window slurping the rich soup and watching the world go by. Melbourne is for experiencing, not for sightseeing.
What are you currently reading?
I’m re-reading a book called Into the Blue: Boldly Going Where Captain Cook Has Gone Before by Tony Horwitz, who was married to the Australian writer Geraldine Brooks until he died in 2019. I first read it twenty years ago and recently wondered if it still has relevance. I think it does. Horwitz manages to present Cook as a three dimensional figure who is was simultaneously a heroic navigator and an unknowing villain, who brought syphilis, guns and greed to the unspoiled Pacific.
What are you currently listening to?
I’m enjoying Obiero by Ayub Ogada. Ayub composed Obiero out of respect for his brother who was murdered by police in South B estate, Nairobi during their childhood, for refusing to pay bribes.
Happiness is?
Sailing downwind, out of sight of land, away from ‘phone reception, with my wife of 35 years and a couple of old friends, knowing there’s a beautiful, protected and deserted anchorage just over the horizon.
What does the future hold for you?
I think Hunter S Thompson said it best… “Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming – Wow! What a Ride!” I hope I’m brave enough!
Mark’s solo exhibition, F * * K LOSS KISS is currently on display in the Gallery – fortyfivedownstairs until 24 April 2025. For more information, visit: www.fortyfivedownstairs.com or www.markchew.com.au for details.
Image: Mark Chew, Self Portrait – courtesy of the artist