Photographer Camilla Rutherford unveils “Once Were Farmers”: a visceral exhibition confronting global waste culture and unseen human stories
Award-winning photographer Camilla Rutherford is set to present Once Were Farmers, a bold photographic series opening in Auckland tomorrow evening, Thursday, March 12. This timely body of work curated to provoke a call to action.
Once Were Farmers is the result of an intense creative and investigative expedition to the “recycling villages” on the outskirts of Hanoi, Vietnam. Rutherford immersed herself in communities where former farmers now dedicate their lives to sorting, processing, and repurposing plastic waste, in what has become an informal economy of survival rising from the shadows of global consumption.
Rather than delivering shock value, Rutherford’s images invite recognition, empathy, and critical reflection. She brings into focus the physical and emotional landscapes of villagers who once tended soil and now contend daily with the detritus of industrialised lifestyles (plastic bags, bottles, toys, and household debris). These are not abstract statistics; they are people, families, neighbours whose work goes unseen.
A Global Narrative, Told Through a Personal Lens
Rutherford’s work — already awarded Gold in the Press & Contemporary Issues category at the 2024 International Photography Awards reframes what it means to “farm” in the 21st century. What was once green land now yields mountains of waste; what was once food production now yields survival through recycling.
For the artist, the series is more than reportage: it an art piece that’s part of an inquiry into human impact, resilience, and responsibility. Shifting the burden not solving it, offshoring responsibility.
A Voice in Global Visual Culture
With a career that spans commercial campaigns for leading international brands and personal projects rooted in sustainability and social narratives, Rutherford is a photographer uniquely positioned to translate compelling visual stories. Her work challenges viewers not only to see, but to feel, question, and act.
Once Were Farmers is more than an exhibition, it’s an opportunity for creative communities to engage with imagery that explores urgent environmental, economic, and human themes, distilled through one photographer’s visionary eye.
Exhibition Details:
What: Once Were Farmers — photographic exhibition
Opening: Thursday 12th March, 5-8pm.
Guest speaker and behind the scenes short film screening. 6pm
When: From Friday 13th March – 9th April
Monday – Friday 9am – 5.30pm,
Saturday 10am – 3pm, Sunday – closed.
Where: Pro Gear Photographic. 34 Ethel Street, Morningside, Auckland
www.camillarutherford.co.nz
camilla@camillarutherford.co.nz
@camillarutherford_photography
Sponsors:
Pro Gear Photographic
Rippon Wine
Citizen Beer
Incrediballs Drinks
IDC Photographers
Sustainable Coastlines
The Waste Free Home
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