PENNY BIRD

All in the Eyes We are all shaped by our journeys, whether through endurance sport, building a business, or leading others. It is the eyes that reveal our journeys. This exhibition brings together two strands of my portrait work: documenting human endurance at sea and creating professional portraits in the city.

Alongside live portrait demonstrations, I will be showing images from the World’s Toughest Row, a 3,000-mile unsupported ocean crossing. These photographs capture the psychological transition that follows extreme endurance.

Throughout the weekend, visitors will be able to step behind the scenes of a live portrait session and observe how light, timing and subtle direction are used to quiet the mind and bring presence into the eyes, revealing the person beyond the role.

This exhibition explores portraiture as a way of revealing the substance we each carry within.