Laura El-Tantawy is a British/Egyptian documentary photographer, book maker and educator. Born in Worcestershire, UK, she studied in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the US and UK. Her projects investigate notions of home and belonging, routinely approaching her work from a social and environmental perspective inspired by her transatlantic background. Her visual explorations often intertwine moving images, sound, and personal narratives, marked by the artist’s lyrical eye on reality.
El-Tantawy is an internationally awarded and exhibited artist. Her work has been published globally, including The New Yorker, Afar, Le Monde, Marie Claire, The Wall Street Journal, National Geographic, Time, New York Times, Huck & Foam Magazine.
El-Tantawy prides herself on her independent identity as a visual creative. Self-publishing has become central to her practice. Her self-published monographs have garnered multiple international accolades. In 2015 she released her first title “In the Shadow of the Pyramids”, a first-person account exploring memory and identity. The publication was internationally hailed and earned the shortlist for the prestigious Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation Prize – awarded annually to an artist of any nationality who has made the most significant contribution to photography in Europe.
Laura's goal as a documentarian is to produce socially engaged, unique and thought-provoking work. She often collaborates with like-minded individuals, institutions and organisations driven to inform responsibly, contribute positive change to the world and encourage stimulating thought and creativity.
