Joachim Schmeisser
For years, Joachim Schmeisser has been photographing the last giants of Africa at close range, creating exceptionally intimate portraits of species threatened with extinction. In his series "The Last Of Their Kind" he focuses on the beauty of creation and its fragile transience. These striking images are timeless works that can be interpreted on different levels: as depictions of a distant past or as iconic memories in a not too distant future in which we can only admire these majestic creatures in zoos. They are both an homage and a final warning - visual revelations that sharpen our clouded view of nature in all its infinite complexity as well as recognizing what treasures we might irretrievably lose.
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Alliance I - Hand Painted, 2023
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Bones, 2020
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Cut in Stone, 2020
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Dante's Inferno, 2020
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Elephant Eye, 2020
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Elephant Skull, 2020
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Eye to Eye, 2020
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Giraffe's Eye, 2020
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Guardian of Eden, 2020
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Hadzabe Hunter, 2020
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Slave, 2020
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Guardian of Eden, 2019
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The Bull and the Bird III, 2017
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A King's Time, Tanzania, 2022
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Alliance I, Tanzania, 2023
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Beyond II, 2019
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Body Care II, 2019
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Bull with two Birds , Kenya, 2017
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Connected, 2019
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Crossing Horns, 2019
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Crossing the Pan, 2017
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Cut in Stone, 2019
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Double Trouble, 2020
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Dust III, 2013
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Elephant Family in Front of Kilimanjaro, 2019
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Elephants in the Dust II, 2019
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Giraffe Couple, 2019
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Giraffe in Front of Mount Kenya, 2019
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Heaven Sent, Tanzania, 2022
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Huntress in Wet Grass, 2020
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Imani I, 2020
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Into The Light, 2022
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Just Me, Tanzania, 2023
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Kibo, 2009
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Lion couple, 2020
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Lion Portrait, 2020
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Lion Portrait II, 2020
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Lion Rock II, 2022
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Lionheart, 2020
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Lying Giraffe, 2019
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Magnificent Five, Kenya, 2020
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Morani, 2020
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Mutual Understanding, Kenya, 2020
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On the Leap, Tanzania, 2022
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Patience, 2022
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Portrait of Primo, 2017
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Preserver of Peace, Kenya, 2019
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Primo Coming Out of the Marsh, Kenya, 2017
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Reflection, 2009
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Remember When, 2023
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Resting Vagabonds, 2020
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Rhino Portrait I, 2019
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Rise, 2019
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Roaring Female, 2020
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Sarabi + Simba, 2017
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Searching for Salt, 2017
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Shelter, 2023
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Silence, 2023
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Soulmates - Portfolio Box set, 2019
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Soulmates I, 2013
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Tano Bora, 2020
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The Divine, 2020
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The King, 2020
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The Last of Their Kind - Portfolio Box set, 2019
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The Lioness, 2020
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The Matriarch, 2019
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The Sentinel, 2023
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Thunderroad, 2023
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Thunderroad II, 2023
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Tim in Front of Kilimanjaro, 2019
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Tomorrow's Leader, 2019
Born in Germany in 1958, Joachim Schmeisser is best known for his major photographic series he has done in East Africa – his iconic portraiture of Elephants – especially the Orphan Elephants at the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust in Kenya.
He started this project in 2009 – during a stopover on a trip to the mountain gorillas in Rwanda and the Hadzabe in Tanzania. Everything changed once he found himself surrounded by these baby elephants and his short travel break turned into a wonderful friendship and terrific project. It is still ongoing even today and has become a matter close to his heart.
In 2012, Joachim Schmeisser won the prestigious Hasselblad Award for this work. In 2017 his book "Elephants in Heaven" was launched by the German Publisher teNeues and sold out within 4 months. His following book, “Hall of Giants” shows a selection of large-format portraits of some of the oldest and largest bull elephants in Africa as well as young elephants that have the potential to grow into Big Tuskers. All of the photographs were taken with medium-format cameras without the use of remote control devices or long lenses. These close-ups are extremely rare in the genre of wildlife photography. Of the Big Tuskers in Amboseli, they are the only ones that exist in this form.
His latest release, which is entitled "The Last Of Their Kind", was published in Spring 2021 by teNeues.
Joachim Schmeisser's intention is to show the beauty and uniqueness of our planet and to increase sensitivity for a topic that concerns us all.
"I see the photos of the elephants as portraits of individuals who are our equals – far removed from spectacular wildlife photography. What interests me is what lies beneath the surface, out of sight, the quite yet intense encounters. I‘d like you to see the images as a window into a fascinating world, where everything is connected to everything else. Protecting this nature is our most important mission."
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Context Art Miami
Florida, USA November 7, 2023We are thrilled to announce our participation to Context Art Miami for the first time! Join us from December 5th to December 10th, 2023 at...Read more -
Photo London 2022
May 11th - 15th, 2022 May 2, 2022We are happy to announce that we will once again exhibit a curated selection of photographs during Photo London art fair . Visit us booth...Read more