Romy Maxime is a Swiss South African photographer and videographer known for her enigmatic portraits, fine art prints, lifestyle, advertising and fashion work. She is based between Cape Town, South Africa and Zurich, Switzerland.
Mixing both digital and analogue techniques, her signature style is defined by cinematic black and white portraits of people and her fine art prints. Her work explores themes of vulnerability, joy and beauty, the female gaze, and Africa.
Romy is also a videographer and director - her most recent short film "Spirit of Kibera" on the art of dance, filmed inn Kenya received critical acclaim and was premiered on Document Journal earlier this year.
Poetry, literature from the likes of Mary Oliver, Pablo Neruda, Bertolt Brecht and personal imprints from a life of travel and growing up in Africa, are Romy's key influences. After completing a degree in finance at the Wharton School in Philadelphia, she furthered careers in journalism and advertising, moving between Berlin and Cape Town.
Her art book on women and the female gaze "Librations" can be seen under the project sections. She works both as an artist selling prints and NFTS, as well as on commission commercially (in colour) for fashion, look-books, editorials, portraits, lifestyle, advertising and beauty photography.
Romy's portraits have been featured in VOGUE, Tatler Magazine, Rolling Stone Magazine, The Mail & Guardian, Vice Magazine among others and her client list includes Hauser & Wirth, Swisscom, Swiss Life, Triumph, Innervisions Music, Ry X, Traffic Magazine and Bo & Luca.
Her award winning portraits have been showcased by Lens Culture, Life Framer, and the C/O Berlin Museum (Allure Award). She was winner of the LensCulture Portrait Award 2023 for her portrait of John and James, entitled "Brothers, South Africa" as well as the Colour Award Winner of LifeFramer 2022. Romy’s work appears on Saatchi Art in the best of black and white photography curations and is featured on the main page of Paris-based Artmajeur.
Her most recent solo exhibition: a short film and limited edition print auction took place at Hauser & Wirth in London in collaboration with NGO Ubunifu Lamu, in Kenya in May 2022. She had a solo exhibition of her work with Ubunifu in January 2023 at the Peponi Hotel in Lamu, Kenya. She was an exhibiting artist at Image Nation Paris at the Galerie Joseph Le Palais this year in May 2023. Romy's works will feature in both the "Dramatic Lighting" Exhibition August 2023, Kontrast Galleri, Stockholm, Sweden and the "Identity" Exhibition, Glasgow Gallery of Photography, August 2023, Glasgow, United Kingdom.
Highlights:
HAUSER & WIRTH X UBUNIFU X ROMY MAXIME FUNDRAISER EXHIBITION London, May 2022
PHOTOBASTEI x SWISS PHOTO CLUB PHOTO AWARDS GROUP EXHIBITION: Top Featured at group exhibition at Photobastei, Zurich, 3-10 December 2022
PEPONI HOTEL UBUNIFU CHILDREN SOLO EXHIBITION Lamu, Kenya, 1 - 30 January 2023
IMAGENATION PARIS 2023 EXHIBITION, Galerie Joseph Le Palais Paris, May 19 - 21 2023
July 2023 GLASGOW GALLERY OF PHOTOGRAPHY IDENTITY EXHIBITION, Glasgow, August 2023
KRAFTWERK x IMPACT HUB x ROMY MAXIME SOLO EXHIBITION: MINDFUL MIRRORS: AI REIMAGINING REALITY, Zurich, September & October 2023
KONTRAST GALLERI "DRAMATIC LIGHTING" EXHIBITION, Stockholm, August 2023
HAUSER & WIRTH X UBUNIFU X ROMY MAXIME FUNDRAISER EXHIBITION II London, 15 November 2023
An abbreviated commercial portfolio and a collection of colour photographs in PDF is available for download on the button below.
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