Photo by Farzin Foroutan, 2024
Each year as part of Graduate Photography Online we ask a number of professionals from the world of photography to review all the work submitted and choose their favourites. We chat to Peggy Sue Amison, Artistic Director, East Wing and Selector for the BA phase of Graduate Photography Online 2026.
Photo by Farzin Foroutan, 2024
Peggy Sue Amison
Artistic Director, East Wing
Tell us about your day-to-day routine as Artistic Director of East Wing, and for those not familiar with the East Wing perhaps you could outline the modus operandi of the organisation and also how you came to be involved with it?
East Wing is an international platform for photography, founded in Doha in 2012. We represent an international roster of emerging and established contemporary photographers and lens-based artists. Rather than operating as a traditional ‘bricks and-mortar’ gallery, East Wing functions as an online platform, which gives us the flexibility to work globally through our website and social media, and also to develop exhibition collaborations with other institutions and festivals across many countries.
My day-to-day routine involves meeting with artists to discuss the development of their projects, considering everything from methods and materials to distribution and promotional strategies, both through social media and by presenting the work directly to museums and institutions for acquisition and exhibition consideration. This requires sustained dialog with artists, close collaboration with multiple institutions, and ongoing strategic planning with the East Wing team.
I joined East Wing as Artistic Director in 2015, following fifteen years as Artistic Director of Sirius Arts Centre, a non-profit multidisciplinary arts centre and artist residency programme in Cork, Ireland. I made the transition because I wanted to focus more specifically on photography — my primary area of expertise — and because I was eager to engage more deeply with artists working across all parts of the world.
Can you tell us anything about any of the projects you're currently working on?
Since 2016, I have developed and curated a number of independent exhibition projects in many different countries, including Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Nigeria, the Republic of Benin, the UAE, the UK, and the USA. These exhibitions have brought artists from different countries and backgrounds together to explore shared themes ranging from: migration to heritage, the relationship between arts and science, and how we navigate the future by looking at our inherited knowledge. I hope to find more opportunities for this kind of curatorial work, collaborating with the artists I represent and connecting with new institutions around the world. This year, however I will be shifting my focus toward a more developmental role — working closely with a number of artists from the Global South to support the growth of their practice, and presenting their projects to museums and private collectors for acquisition consideration. I also plan to introduce their work to curators at institutions and photography festivals for exhibition opportunities.
How did you make your way into the career you're now in? At what point did photography start to feature significantly in that path?
I began seriously working with photography at seventeen, while still in high school. I started as a staff photographer for a local “fanzine” covering the alternative music scene in my hometown, and later went on to study photography more formally at university in San Francisco. During that time, I produced my own solo exhibitions, while working full-time at photography labs and later in marketing and editorial roles. In 2000, I left California to explore what it might mean to live more authentically as a photographer in Ireland. I didn’t want to keep working a nine-to-five desk job in a field unrelated to art just to pay the rent. I worked in restaurants and other odd jobs until 2001, when I was selected as an artist in residence at Sirius Arts Centre. By then I had begun mounting a few solo exhibitions in Ireland, and the day one of them opened at Sirius, I was offered a temporary position as Arts Administrator there. What was intended to be a three-month role evolved into a full-time position as Artistic Director of this multidisciplinary arts and residency program.
Since those first days in high school, when I discovered the magic of photography, it has been the driving force in my career. As I became more involved in developing the programme at Sirius, I realised how much I enjoyed connecting people and projects, and how energising it was when those connections led somewhere meaningful. I have been fortunate to encounter many different cultures and perspectives, all of which have shaped how I understand the work of the artists I collaborate with. Curiosity has always been central to how I move through the world, and I feel genuinely privileged to work with so many talented creatives across so many different parts of the field.
How do you decide on what makes an interesting photograph or photographic project?
I’m drawn to work that stops me in my tracks — images that communicate in an energetic way, that present ideas I have never considered before, or take something familiar and reveal it in an entirely new way. I am constantly looking for images that ignite a sense of wonder.
I work mostly with artists who are developing long-term projects, often ones that take years to fully realise. I particularly appreciate artists who are thoughtful about their palette: the use of colour or black and white, composition, lighting, materials, and scale, and who consider how their images will exist within a space and the way it affects the message they are trying to convey. I also admire artists who have the courage to take the time their work demands, rather than rushing the process. I am interested in strong narratives, but I also appreciate the power of a single image. I once heard the curator and artist Teju Cole describe placing one photograph alone in an exhibition as a “grace note.” I loved the intention behind that. For me, reading a well composed photograph is not unlike listening to a piece of music.
As regards the photographer's statement, what are the most important things for you to know about the work? When it comes to showing their work outside of university, do you have any tips on how graduates should prepare their work and the supporting material that accompanies it?
Authenticity, above all. I have read countless overly academic artistic statements written in a kind of intellectual code, seemingly designed to impress through stilted and formal language. It is far more important to keep communication about your work as open and honest as your initial intention. Ask yourself: What was your aim? Why did this subject catch your attention? Where does this work sit within your wider practice? Have you come to any new realisations in the process of making it? These are the questions your artistic statement should answer —clearly, directly, and in your own voice.
In your view, aside from specifically technical skills, what are the kind of qualities that completing a degree course in photography should endow an individual with?
• Students should continually challenge themselves to ask “why” — why this subject, why this story, why this medium rather than another? Curiosity should never be switched off.
• Embrace the gift of time. In this Instagram-driven world, there is a tendency to celebrate hasty work. Making something meaningful requires patience, allowing yourself to build a real relationship with your work and your practice.
• When an artist listens to their work and allows it to reveal what it wants to be — rather than forcing it into the latest trend or format — that is when viewers are genuinely surprised, and when a body of work feels mature and complete.
• Like any craft, you have to practice the fundamentals until they become second nature. That muscle memory frees you to be creative and to discover new terrain.
• Be thoughtful about how you present your work. Edit carefully. Sequence with intention. Make sure supporting materials — your CV, artist statement, and portfolio — are clear, concise, and professionally formatted. Small details make a difference.
What are the particular challenges you see facing graduates from photography degree courses as they make their way into the world at this particular point in time?
There is a great deal of competition out there — that’s no secret. You’ve got to be ready for the long game, developing both your practice and your professional relationships steadily over time. Working in photography is about much more than making good pictures. You must learn how to promote yourself professionally and build genuine connections. Those relationships often take years to develop before they eventually lead to meaningful opportunities, so consistency matters — both in your work and how you communicate. Networking, both professionally and personally, is essential, as is staying aware of how the field continues to evolve.
What advice would you have for someone interested in working in your particular field?
Have patience and a sense of humour. Do your research. When applying for any opportunity, find out who the decision-makers are. When approaching galleries or agencies, look carefully at the artists they currently represent and ask yourself honestly whether it is the right fit for you. If you attend a portfolio review, research your reviewers beforehand. I have met artists at reviews who have invested considerable time and money to attend, but have not even visited the website of the gallery I represent or knew where it was based. A little preparation shows respect and allows the conversation to go somewhere far more interesting. Stay in touch with the professionals and peers you meet along the way. You never know when a connection, a shared piece of information, or a chance encounter might open the door to your next opportunity.