Fotografen - Einzelansicht

"Shobha is a versatile photographer: her name is worldwide renown.
She was born in Palermo in 1954 and has studied music at the Conservatory in Milano. Afterwards she moved to India and then to the United States. She started her career in 1980 by taking pictures on the behalf of newspaper L'Ora, based in Palermo. Her pictures portray the political and social life in Sicily during the years of Mafia. In 1985 she created the Laboratorio d'If in Palermo, centre for cultural and photography, where lots of exhibitions have been hosted. Since 1987 she focused on social and International issues; she moved to Cuba for a while working on various aspects of the island. She published on the most important Italian and foreign magazines as Stern, Zeit Magazine, Cosmopolitan, New York Times, Sunday Times, Glamour, Der Spiegel, Il Venerdì, Panorama, L'Espresso, Vanity Fair, Max and Amica. She also published a book with journalist Petra Reski a book on Rita Atria and female criminals who turned State's evidence, printed in Germany by Hoffman Und Campe; a book written by Marcelle Padovani about Giovanni Falcone, printed in Spain; "Auguri Comandante! E' nata una femmina" published by Edizioni della Battaglia (Palermo) and Desmart, in France. Her commitment in photography clashed with a growing interest in the Sicilian reality. The attention on Mafia phenomenon marking Shobha's career, with a peculiar glance on women's condition, regardless if they are victims or protagonists of Mafia feeuds. "Women and Mafia", in fact, one of the most celebrated reportages by Shobha, has been published by the most important International magazines.
In 1995 some works of hers have been exhibited at the Biennal of Venice. One year later she realized reportages about contemprary arts working together with artists such as Rosmarie Trockl. In 1998 she wins the second best prize at the World Press Photo, in the "Portraits Story" category, with a reportage about Sicilian nobility, the projects she focused on over the past years which in 1999 became an exhibition and a book, titled "Gli Ultimi Gattopardi", printed by Contrasto in collaboration with the Commune of Palermo.
In 2000 Shobha is formally invited by the "Iraqi Society for Photography" to exhibit at the 10th Baghdad International Festival for Photographic Pictures and to realize a work about Saddam Hussein's birthday. In 2001 she receives the prestigious acknoledgement at the Hansel-Mieth Preis with her reportage "Church and Mafia", realized with journalist Petra Reski. In 2002 Shobha wins the second best award at the World Press Photo, "Arts and Entertainment" category, with her reporage on "Fashion in Senegal", which later began an exhibition, then printed into the "Gli Angeli Della Medina" catalogue, published by Micromuseum. In the same year she's invited to take part at Photoespaña, Festival Internacional de Fotografia Femeninos, held in Madrid. In 2003 she realizes a reportage about children trade for UNICEF and "Il Venerdì di Repubblica". In 2004 she is awarded with the prize Osvaldo Buzzi, in Benevento. In the last years she is testing herself in fashion photography and her images have been exhibited in many International museums and galleries.
Shobha is represented world-wide by Contrasto since 1992."

www.contrasto.it

"Contrasto is a unique enterprise in the field of photography. Contrasto was born in the 80's to be a point of reference for quality photojournalism.

The agency's photographers, in addition to its close contact with the information and culture worlds, allows Contrasto to be a leader in the field of author photography.

Its vast range of activities (production and distribution of images for journalism, advertising and image consulting, fashion and publishing, archives available online) is guaranteed by the various resources it draws from; Most notably Magnum, the prestigious agency founded by Robert Capa and Henri Cartier-Bresson.

Contrasto is publishing house as well, working to realize photographic books, and exhibits in cooperation with Italy's public and private institutions.

The high level of Contrasto photographers' amounts to a gallery of unique images suitable for collecting purposes as well."

www.contrasto.it