Anita Corbin
Anita Corbin has produced a collection of 100 portraits for her ‘First Women’ project. Capturing women in the UK who were the ‘first’ in their field of achievement and documenting this new generation of women who are changing the world of equality. To mark the 100 years of women’s suffrage, the full collection of portraits was revealed this year where Anita is travelling the First Women project exhibition throughout the UK, featuring portraits from celebrities and famous personalities from across the decades.
The First Women project is an important celebration of 20’th and 21’st century women. Anita has produced an archive which will be looked upon for years and will inspire future generations of strong women. ‘Ordinary women achieving extraordinary things’.
Michaela Tabb. First Woman to officiate a World Championship snooker final. July 2015 The Crucible Theatre, Sheffield.
Kelly Gallagher CBE. First woman to win a Winter Paralympic Gold Medal for Britain. November 2016 Scrabo Tower, Newtownards, County Down.
Baroness Shirley Williams. First Woman to Chair the Oxford University Labour Club. May 2011 Dining Hall, Somerville College, Oxford.
Monique Simmonds. First Woman Director of the Kew Innovation Unit (RBG). April 2014 Princess of Wales Conservatory, Kew Gardens, Surrey.
Anita spent years working as the top female photographer for The Sunday Times and The Observer, focusing on human interest stories involving women. Her project was one Anita wanted to create all her life, leaving a legacy for the future.
“With more images being made now than ever before, I wanted to provide an alternative to the mainstream, to create images of women that demand people look beyond the exterior and find the inner truth. I wanted to celebrate the impact women have had on society over the last 100 years. I hope that the First Women series will inspire future generations and help them see that it is possible to break down barriers whether they are social, economic, cultural or political. I have created these powerful images to offer emotional support to women who seek to be the best they can be; those women who want to aim high will look at my pictures and see they are not alone.”
The project is supported by a team of females. PA Janine Stedman, Curator Kathleen Soriano, PR Tracy Jones, Marketer Drew Sarah Llewellyn, Journalist Deborah Willimott.
Deta Hedman. First Woman to defeat a man in a televised UK open darts championship. May 2016 Spots and Stripes, London.
Professor Louise Richardson FRSE. First Woman principal of St Andrews University and Vice-Chancellor or Oxford University. October 2015 Principals house, University of St. Andrews, Scotland.
RCA First Women Exhibition.
Another of Anitas projects is called Visible Girls, and more recently Visible Girls Revisited. As a young female in the early 80’s, Anita wanted to photograph her generation of young women who were defying mainstream by immersing themselves in subculture. Corbin then, 36 years later, revisited the photographic series by photographing double portraits of the same girls, now as women. This work is also currently being exhibited and traveling around the uk. Follow this project on Instagram and Twitter.
‘Girls having fun, being who they wanted to be, wearing what they wanted to wear, misbehaving.’-A.C
Carrie and Gill.
Susan and Linda.
VGR Exeter Exhibition.
all images © Anita Corbin
