Inès Elsa Dalal

Born in Nottingham to a Swiss, Italian mother & German, Danish, Parsi (Iranian-Indian) father, I spent my formative years in Birmingham and am currently based in London. I pride myself on working in a way that prioritises the portrait sitter’s comfort: holding space to co-create and connect meaningfully.

Summer 2011, I returned to Birmingham after graduating from Manchester School of Art. Deeply moved by the five days of uprisings across England which took place in the second week of August, in response to the police killing Mark Duggan. Witnessing those uprisings and the way it was reported made me reconsider: who am I photographing, and why?

I proceeded to focus on photographing Black and Brown communities across Birmingham, documenting narratives which intentionally confront and counteract negative, dehumanising portrayals of anti-Blackness and Islamaphobia; which continue to dominate mainstream media to this day.

I’ve been working with pioneers of the Windrush Generation since 2012 - five years before the Windrush Scandal hit the headlines, in 2017. I began by photographing military veterans after learning that their ancestors were excluded from military victory marches. This contemporary archive and debut solo exhbition was titled ‘West Indies to West Midlands’ (2014). Created in honour of everyone who rebuilt post-war Britain, who are yet to be properly recognised for their monumental sacrifices - often thanked only for their ‘contribution’

In 2025 I am continuing to work on long-form, self-initiated projects centred on social justice, advocating workers’ rights to rest, fair pay and safe work environments.

‘Unreported Uprisings’ was exhibited at NOW Gallery, London (10th October - 17th November 2024) and is currently available to tour.