Glenna Gordon

Glenna Gordon (born 3 May 1981) is an American documentary photographer, photojournalist, editor, and educator based in New York City. She is known for documenting such event as the Ebola outbreak, ISIS and Al Qaeda's hostage situations, and the kidnapping of more than two hundred and fifty Nigerian school girls. She is also known for her documentation of Nigerian weddings.

Biography In 2006, Gordon earned a master's degree in print journalism from the Columbia University School of Journalism. She then made her first trip to Africa where she photographed images of the developing world. The photographs were also featured in Callimachi's articles "Paying Ransoms, Europe Bankrolls Qaeda Terror". In this series, Gordon photographed objects the freed hostages held onto during and after their captivity. The objects reveal pieces of individual hostage's stories unknown to the public.

Mass abduction in Nigeria In 2014, the jihadist terrorist organization, Boko Haram kidnapped 276 girls from their boarding school in Chibok in northeast Nigeria. Although there was media coverage about the incident, little mentioned the kidnapped girls themselves. Gordon photographed some of their belongings sent to her by family members. The photographs were published in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and Time. The work was given the 2015 World Press Award.

Diagram of the Heart Gordon's Diagram of the Heart captures female novelists living in Kano, a city in Northern Nigeria. The novelists write in the genre of Littattafan Soyayya, which roughly translates to love literature. Published in 2016 Diagram of the Heart was awarded photo book of the year by The New York Times Magazine, Pictures of the Year International and PDN (Photo District News). The book was also featured in Moving Walls 23: Journeys and the Museum of Contemporary African Diasporan Arts.

American Women of the Far Right American Women of the Far Right is an investigative photo essay wherein Gordon explores the views of women who participate in extremist politics and hate groups. She had found that white supremacy was largely portrayed in the media through a male dominated lens. Gordon captured portraits of women who also hold these politic views. Some of these women identified as white supremacists, conservative extremists, racists, Klansmen, and Nazis.

American Women In 2019, Gordon won the Aftermath Grant for her proposed project American Women. This project is an expansion of American Women of the Far Right. The project will cover women who live in the same areas but who instead work for social justice.

Liberia: Traces of America's Ghosts Liberia: Traces of America's Ghosts is an ongoing project to documenting the after effects of Liberia's civil war. Gordon has been working in Liberia as a photojournalist since 2009.

Nigeria Ever After Published in 2012, Nigeria Ever After is a collection of photographs from Nigerian weddings. The collection explores the style and cost of marriage in the country.

Indonesia: The End is the Beginning Gordon's photographic series Indonesia: The End is the Beginning depicts the different kinds of funeral rites and burial practices in Indonesia. Gordon captures the celebration of death and transition to the afterlife on the island of Bali. Another photo follows a long funeral procession and slow mourning process on the island of Sumba.

Achievements

Grants

2019: Aftermath project grant 2017–2018: The New School, Faculty Research Fund 2017: Economic Hardship Reporting Project 2017: Pulitzer Center Grant, Nigeria 2016: Indonesia, Festival PhotoReporter Grant 2012: Nigeria, African Artists Foundation Residency

Awards

2019: American Women 2017: Eugene Smith Award 2017: PDN winner for personal project 2015: Magenta Foundation Flash Forward Award 2015: World Press Award 2015: American Photo 2015: Communication Arts 2014: Grand Prize for visual storytelling, LensCulture 2014: First prize in portraiture, Px3