The images captured in the midst of protests are a powerful voice for those whose rights are violated, whose freedoms are at risk, and whose voices are silenced.

The photo exhibition "Unyielding Voices" opens on September 19 at the Street Gallery exhibition space, Factory 42. It tells stories of emotional resilience in the face of injustice and systemic oppression, taking you on a journey through countries where personal and collective struggles are part of daily life. The photo shots remind us that resistance is a continuous process that requires courage, solidarity, and firmness of choice.

At the exhibition, you will see women from various countries fighting for the freedom of choice, boldly standing up against political powers that manipulate their rights in a bid to expand control and influence. You will also witness how Turkish activists resist a regime that grows more brutal and merciless by the day, and the methods used by various governments to monitor and identify protesters. A significant part of the exhibition is dedicated to the stories of self-organized civil protests in Georgia, focusing on the fight for freedom of speech and expression, media freedom, and against occupation.

Information about the authors presented at the exhibition:

Leslie Spurlock | USA

Leslie Spurlock, a photojournalist for Zuma Press, photographer, storm chaser, and humanitarian activist, has been capturing and covering significant global events for over 21 years.

Her career began in 2004 when she traveled to Haiti to photograph Carnival. However, due to an uprising in the country, her plans changed, and she ended up living with the military for three weeks, who had ousted President Jean-Bertrand Aristide. Since then, Leslie has returned to Haiti four times, including to cover Tropical Storm Jeanne, which claimed 3,000 lives. This is how Leslie became a storm-chasing photojournalist, documenting the devastating effects of Katrina, Rita, Harvey, Laura, Ida, and Delta.

Leslie has covered up to 20 protests in American history, including Black Lives Matter. Her photos have been published in renowned magazines and outlets such as Time, The Wall Street Journal, Mother Jones, The New York Post, The Guardian, Der Spiegel, Miami Herald, Austin American-Statesman, Daily Mail, ABC, CNN, Yahoo, and many others.

Larry Hopewell | USA

Larry Hopewell was born in the small Midwestern town of Washington, Indiana. After graduating from high school in 1969, he enrolled at the Herron School of Art in Indianapolis, where he studied and practiced mediums such as lithography, painting, and photography. After two years of study at Herron, he moved to Chicago and established his own studio for painting and photography. In 1977, Larry relocated to New Canaan, Connecticut, where he worked as an assistant to renowned photographer Allan Mitchell.

In 1984, following his move to Athens, Georgia, Larry enrolled at Lamar Dodd School of Art at the recommendation of Andy Nasisse, a professor of art at the University of Georgia. There, he earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, and later, a Master of Fine Arts degree from the Cranbrook Academy of Art in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.

Today, he lives with his wife, Judy, in a small rural community near Athens, Georgia, where they are busy restoring a 135-year-old farmhouse. Larry continues to create art in various mediums, including digital collage and photography.

His work has been exhibited in London, New York, Toronto, Seoul, Chicago, Atlanta, Lisbon, Bali, and Brussels. It has been published in Art Share Magazine, NFA Magazine, Aguilar Art, NFT Magazine (2nd Anniversary Special Edition), and DAM Magazine.

Notable collections: Cozomo de' Medici Emerging Artists (2023), Blake Wood, Hunter Weiss, Arcanic.

BIIMO | Georgia

BIIMO is an anonymous street artist and activist who uses various mediums to make social statements and protests. Known for his provocative installations, BIIMO’s works transform urban landscapes into sensitive narratives that address various social and political issues.

From street art installations to digital sculptures and NFTs, BIIMO is known for its multidisciplinary approach. BIIMO’s works also explore the intersection of art and the digital world.

One of BIIMO’s notable projects is "Puppet House, 2021," an installation on the Parliament building of Georgia. In 2021, demonstrators demanded the resignation of the Prime Minister, who, through his statements against LGBTQ+ individuals, incited radical groups to violence against peaceful citizens. As a result, 53 journalists were injured, and one tragically died. With this installation, BIIMO once again highlighted the repressive policies of the state towards LGBTQ+ people and the puppet-like, conformist, and selective attitude of parliament members towards human rights violations.

Another significant work by BIIMO is "ДЕТИ" ("Children"), which was created in collaboration with artist Levan Amashukeli and placed on the Russian Pavilion at the Venice Biennale. The AR installation was dedicated to the memory of those killed in the airstrike on the Mariupol Drama Theater by Russian occupation forces on March 16, 2022.

Featured exhibitions:

IHAM gallery Paris – 14 Oct 2023

Berlin, AR Cities, Nov 2023

Vienna, AR Cities, Dec 2023

Theatre Factory 42 – Sep 2023

AR Installation La Biennale di Venezia – Aug 2022

SXSW 2022 – Metaverse Gallery, Mar 14 – 18, 2022

Augmented Reality exhibition – New York, Times Square, Oct 1, 2021

NFT CRACKER event – LONDON by Ethereal Collective & NFTUK. Dec 8, 2021

David Sagatelov | Georgia

David Sagatelov is a successful Georgian photographer whose work has received significant recognition on both national and international stages. His photographic career began with accolades at the Agora Awards in 2016, followed by an exhibition at the Eyeem Awards in 2018. In 2024, he was named a finalist in the Kolga Tbilisi Photo Award for Mobile Street Photography, and he also won the Photopolis Parenthoods 2024 and CIP Festival Street Photography awards.

His work has been showcased at the Holoseum & Invisible Hand exhibition in 2023 and featured on prominent platforms such as Hello Blog TBC and 500px. Additionally, his work has been published in various journals and magazines, including Georgian Journal, Elle Italia, Business Mirror, and National Geographic Georgia.

Manana Qveliasvhili | Georgia

Manana Qveliashvili is a multimedia reporter and documentarian for the publication "Batumelebi," with 20 years of experience working in print and online media. She graduated from Akaki Tsereteli State University in Kutaisi.

At various times, she worked as a reporter for the newspaper "Akhali Gazeti" and the Mtskheta-Mtianeti Information Center. Since 2012, she has been working for the online publications "Batumelebi" and "Netgazeti."

As a media activist, in 2020, she became a winner of the "Human Rights Tulip 2020" competition, organized by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Georgia. Manana is also the recipient of the "Media for Equality 2022" award by the organization "Women Engage for a Common Future - Georgia" (WECF Georgia) in the category of "Best Regional Media Product" for her documentary film about migrant women, "Life Elsewhere, for Others."

Görkem Keser | Turkey

Görkem Keser is a photographer from Turkey with a background in media and communication. His interest in photojournalism was ignited during his final year at the İstanbul Bilgi University where he worked closely with professors specializing in the field. Over nearly a decade, Keser has documented social events amidst Turkey's turbulent political landscape. His work has been featured in both international and local media and exhibited in various galleries.

Mathu Megalan | Sri Lanka

Mathu Megalan is a street photographer and storyteller from Sri Lanka. For the past six years, he has been capturing and sharing stories about his culture and people.

His photographs have been featured in various exhibitions and publications within Sri Lanka. On the international stage, Mathu Megalan's work has been showcased through Web3 exhibitions in locations including Ontario, California, Pakistan, Indonesia, and Taiwan.

Nino Chelidze | Georgia

Nino Chelidze is a Georgian photojournalist with 15 years of experience, primarily focused on street and reportage photography. Since 2019, she has also been teaching photography, sharing her passion for visual storytelling. In 2023, she actively participated in projects that introduced photography to diverse communities, including probationers and children in foster care.

Her work not only captures the raw moments of urban life but also offers a deep engagement with the people and stories behind each image. Through her teaching, Nino extends her craft to those often overlooked, making photography a means of connection and self-discovery.

Violet Forest | USA

Born and raised in Miami, Violeta Lopez, known as Violet Forest, is an artist who creatively fuses art and technology. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Florida International University (2012), where she studied film photography, photobooks, and experimental video art. Her outstanding undergraduate project was The Wiki Project (2011), a documentary photo essay of her sister.

Violet also holds an MFA in Art and Technology from the Chicago School of Art Institute (2016). She was a member of the Cybertwee Collective, known for the project Cybertwee Bakesale, which explores the intersections between femininity, technology, and education.

After her studies, she worked in front-end and Unity in Chicago and worked as a UX Design Technologist at Volkswagen Future Center Europe in Berlin (2018-2020). After completing his fellowship in Paris, she returned to America in 2021 and actively engaged in the direction of NFT art.

She is fully involved in digital creation at Hicetnunc, Foundation, and FxHash. Her work, which includes web art, gaming/virtual reality, and GAN art, has been exhibited at Birmingham Open Media (UK) and the Berlin Transmedia Festival.

General sponsor of the Street Gallery: KARVA