13 The Gallery

Started by Cuban Photographer Alejandro Gortazar, 13 The Gallery is an ecletic art gallery, photography studio and fine art shop in Islington, London. It is part of Whitechapel Gallery’s First Thursdays and is linked to the Newington Green business and action groups, Transition Town Stoke Newington, N16 Magazine and the Cuba Solidarity Campaign. It's OBJECTIVES "We want to be an art and activity hub for the vibrant and diverse community around us and, in response to comments from our visitors, we host monthly Artfordable Fairs and weekly classes, such as Photography, Painting (adults and children), Pilates (mother and baby), Yoga and Drumming." "We have a particular interest in offering opportunities to Latin American and Caribbean artists, and other artists largely marginalized and disadvantaged because of their country of origin, but also encourage outstanding local emerging artists to share their work with the public." History 2012 - 13 The Gallery opened in Newington Green at the end of 2012 after a long and difficult refurbishment project by Alejandro Gortazar, award winning visual artist and professional photographer (see photos of before/after), and it is the first Cuban-owned art gallery in Europe. Its opening was covered by the news agency EFE and spread widely in Spanish speaking countries (Spain, Cuba, Argentina and Mexico, to name a few) and communities in the UK, the USA and Canada. . About Alejandro Gortazar Born in 1973 in Havana, Cuba, after a well-established and extensive career in his homeland as a professional photographer and journalist, Gortazar lives between Havana and London since 2009. A year later, following seven international exhibitions, he opened his studio-gallery in the unique Latin American and Caribbean Seven Sisters Indoor Market. A further year and with five more international exhibitions, he expanded his business to the local high street, in Newington Green. A serious accident Gortazar suffered in Sri Lanka, at the beginning of 2012, slowed down his renovation of the decaying space that he has successfully turned into 13 The Gallery. Working with both analog and digital cameras, and printing with special pigments on canvas and archival paper, Gortazar has come to be known internationally for his ability to create photographs often mistaken for paintings. His profound understanding of light, colour temperature and definition creates timeless images of ever-changing environments and cultures, evoking feelings difficult to express. These instantly recognizable photographs are on display at 13 The Gallery. E-mail: info@13thegallery.com Opening hours: Monday closed Tues, Wed, Fri 11am-7pm Thursday 11am-9pm Saturday 10am-6pm Sunday 1pm-4pm