Alen Macweeney

Alen MacWeeney, born in Dublin in 1939 and based in New York, is an internationally acclaimed photographer who launched his career in Paris as Richard Avedon's assistant. Over five decades, he has become renowned for his distinctive, painterly appoach, which allows the character of his subjects to emerge with a sense of thoughtful repose.

MacWeeney's versatility is evident in his acclaimed bodies of work, notably his compassionate, gritty portraits of Irish Travellers and his documentation of the conflict in Northern Ireland. His work also captures moments of everyday life, such as his celebrated New York Subway series. His masterful use of light and composition creates a wide range of emotion, from humor to drama.

His photographs have been featured in major publications like The New Yorker and Aperture, and his ten books include Irish Travellers and Bloomsbury Reflections. MacWeeney's work is held in the permanent collections of prestigious institutions, including the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Art Institute of Chicago.