the wind was blowing as I was walking on marshy ground (2024)
Archival pigment prints on Hahnemühle Bamboo paper
Nelu is a Romanian photographic artist based in Lancashire, a Creative Technical Demonstrator at the University of Salford and a graduate in MA Contemporary Fine Art (2017). His practice lies at the intersection of documentary and fiction, using walking and image-making to map both physical and emotional landscapes.
These works are rooted in Nelu’s experience as an immigrant navigating the bleak and often isolating landscapes of the West Pennine Moors. Drawn to ancient infrastructure such as Roman roads or footpaths, as well as Victorian relics that have since blended into the natural environment (mine shafts, quarries, spoil heaps) he photographs the land in an idyllic, painterly style as a metaphor for his own sense of dislocation and projected resilience.
Central to this project is an ongoing exploration of sustainable photographic practices, carefully considering planning, image-making, post-production, and presentation, grounded in a commitment to photographing locally and leaving no trace, as part of an Arts Council England Developing Your Creative Practice grant.
The images above are close-up stills of Nelu’s work.
The image above is an install shot from the exhibition.
Photographs on this page courtesy of Sam Parker, UoS Art Collection Team Assistant
