Govanhill

The Stirling Photography Festival are delighted to bring Simon Murphy to this year's festival with his acclaimed Govanhill project .

First exhibited at Street Level Photoworks, from October 2023 until January 2024 , this unique edit from that collection comes to the Macrobert Arts Centre as part of the Beyond 2025 Stirling Photography Festival.

Dubbed Glasgow's "Ellis Island", Govanhill has traditionally been a place where immigrants "arrive" in Glasgow and eventually move on from. It is estimated that 88 languages are spoken in the densely populated area of only 0.33 square miles. It's a mixing pot of cultures and ethnicities.

These differences have contributed to tension within the community, people often fear what is unfamiliar to them and worry about how change might impact on their own lives but it's also these cultural differences that help make Govanhill one of the most diverse and exciting places in the city.

Simon’s project consists mainly of street portraiture, individuals who live and pass through the area. Whenever Simon approaches a new subject, a degree of fear is present in himself, but he knows well that pushing beyond that barrier can result in new friendships and incredible experiences.

The portraits are composed in a very direct way with the subject holding direct eye contact. The message?

“This is me, this is who I am, look at me, try to understand me, we are not so different".

" The project is a celebration of people and community but photographed with a raw reality. A portrait of circumstance, hope and aspiration. In this sense, Murphy’s work is in a strong humanistic tradition of documentary photography, amplifying the values of dignity, equality and tolerance. It is equally humanitarian in its celebration of the area, in amplifying a sense of pride to the residents and allowing the images to trigger conversation." from Street Level Photoworks

About Simon

Simon is an award-winning photographer and lecturer at Glasgow Kelvin College. His work ranges from portraits of the Dalai Lama to musicians such as Noel Gallagher, Paolo Nutini and Primal scream’s Bobby Gillespie. He also shoots human interest stories that have taken him to countries such as Bangladesh, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia and Colombia.

Simon’s personal long-term project documenting the diverse community of Govanhill has won numerous awards including The Scottish Portrait Awards, The Sony World Photography Prize, Portrait of Humanity and The Bartur Photo Award.

Instagram : @smurph77