About Justin Partyka

Justin Partyka is a photographer and writer. His work explores the importance of place, and the intimate roles that tradition and landscape play in shaping culture and identity. Partyka is currently working on three long term book and exhibition projects: The East Anglians, The Carnivalesque of Cádiz, and Saskatchewan.

Partyka's photographs have been exhibited at Tate Britain, the Jerwood Space, Belfast Exposed, and the Norfolk Rural Life Museum, amongst others. Publications include the Guardian Review, Guardian Weekend magazine, Source magazine, the British Journal of Photography, Granta, the Drawbridge, and Burn magazine. In 2005 Partyka received a visual arts award from Arts Council England.

Partyka is a mainly self-taught photographer. Inspired by the Folkways LP Mountain Music of Kentucky (1960) made by photographer, sound recordist, filmmaker, and musician John Cohen, Partyka trained as a folklorist at Memorial University, Newfoundland, Canada. He received his MA in 2001. After beginning a PhD in folklife studies, Partyka eventually had to choose between academia and his photography. In 2003 after completing his comprehensive exams he left Newfoundland to return home to Norfolk to concentrate on his work as a photographer.

Partyka is available world-wide for assignments and commissions, and to teach workshops.

(Photograph: copyright Emina Redzic, 2009)