Mark Sealy
Mark Sealy became Director of Autograph, the Association of Black Photographers in 1991, and has since curated and initiated several major international photography exhibitions. These include an extraordinary audiovisual programme on Black Photography in Britain for Rencontres d'Arles in 1993 and retrospectives on the photographic works of Gordon Parks and James Van Der Zee in London. He is currently curating a Hayward Gallery Touring Exhibtion, “Disposable People” due to open in October 2008.
In his role at Autograph he has initiated the production of over 40 publications including books on the works of Vanley Burke and Rotimi Fani-Kayode, and more recently the Egyptian photographer Youssef Nabil he has produced many exhibitions, commissions and residency projects.
Sealy lectures extensively throughout the UK and abroad, and has written for the British Journal of Photography, Creative Camera (DPICT Magazine) and the Independent on Sunday. For several years he was a member of the Arts Council of England’s Photography Advisory Panel and was until recently a purchaser for the Arts Council England’s Arts Collection. He sits on the board of several arts organizations.
Along with his role at Autograph he acts as an independent photographic consultant. In 1998 he co-curated Revealing Views: Images on Ireland at the Royal Festival Hall, London. Recently, he has completed a new book project with Phaidon Press entitled Different, on photography and identity, with Professor Stuart Hall.
Sealy founding CEO of the new visual arts and Photography centre Rivington Place, a 8 million capital building project in collaboration with the Institute of International Visual Arts, with funding from Arts Council England Barclays Bank and several other trusts and foundations Sealy was recently awarded the Hood Medal by the Royal Photographic Society for his contribution to photography and public service.