
Photo by Chris Floyd
About Emma Blau, FRSA
ARTIST | CURATOR | COMMENTATOR
Emma Blau has been at the forefront of visual culture her whole life. As a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, award-winning photographic artist with work held in the National Portrait Gallery, London, exhibition curator, gallerist, public speaker, lecturer, vintage clothes collector and singer, Emma believes there is always something memorable to be shared and talked about in the visual world around us, wherever we are.
Emma holds an MA with distinction in Image & Communication (Photography) from Goldsmiths, University of London and is a lecturer and speaker at events and institutions such as BAFTA, The London Art Fair, Photo London, The Club at The Ivy, Nottingham Trent University and Goldsmiths, University of London.
She also contributes to numerous publications and TV and radio programmes, including Queen Elizabeth II: A Photographic Portrait (Thames & Hudson), The Guardian, The Changing Face of The Queen (Back2Back Productions), London Live, ITV News, France 24 and BBC Radio London.
Emma’s photography has been exhibited internationally and in the UK as well as featuring in leading publications including British Vogue, Wallpaper* and The Sunday Times Magazine.
Recent projects have included 209 women, an artist-led initiative which marked 100 years of women achieving the vote in the UK and featured 209 new portraits of all elected women MPs made by women photographers. Emma’s portrait of Luciana Berger was exhibited in the Houses of Parliament and The Open Eye Gallery in Liverpool as well as featuring in the book accompanying the exhibition, published by Bluecoat Press. The exhibited image was also acquired by The Parliamentary Art Collection
Emma is also one of the team responsible for Phillips’ and Artsy’s 2021 exclusive auction in aid of The Ian Parry Scholarship. Featuring work by over 200 of the world’s most celebrated photographers, more than £250,000 was raised to support young and emerging photojournalists worldwide.
She is co-owner of the photographic agency Camera Press and directed and produced the documentary Camera Press at 70 : A Lifetime In Pictures made to celebrate their platinum anniversary which accompanied the exhibition of the same name that she curated. She was previously the director of the Tom Blau Gallery housed at the agency where she was responsible for an innovative exhibition programme of contemporary and vintage photography.
Emma sits on the Photographers’ Gallery Young Patrons’ Committee and is a mentor for Arts Emergency, an award-winning charity and support network which helps young people get a fair start in the arts and humanities.

Photo by Chris Floyd
About Emma Blau, FRSA
ARTIST | CURATOR | COMMENTATOR
Emma Blau has been at the forefront of visual culture her whole life. As a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, award-winning photographic artist with work held in the National Portrait Gallery, London, exhibition curator, gallerist, public speaker, lecturer, vintage clothes collector and singer, Emma believes there is always something memorable to be shared and talked about in the visual world around us, wherever we are.
Emma holds an MA with distinction in Image & Communication (Photography) from Goldsmiths, University of London and is a lecturer and speaker at events and institutions such as BAFTA, The London Art Fair, Photo London, The Club at The Ivy, Nottingham Trent University and Goldsmiths, University of London.
She also contributes to numerous publications and TV and radio programmes, including Queen Elizabeth II: A Photographic Portrait (Thames & Hudson), The Guardian, The Changing Face of The Queen (Back2Back Productions), London Live, ITV News, France 24 and BBC Radio London.
Emma’s photography has been exhibited internationally and in the UK as well as featuring in leading publications including British Vogue, Wallpaper* and The Sunday Times Magazine.
Recent projects have included 209 women, an artist-led initiative which marked 100 years of women achieving the vote in the UK and featured 209 new portraits of all elected women MPs made by women photographers. Emma’s portrait of Luciana Berger was exhibited in the Houses of Parliament and The Open Eye Gallery in Liverpool as well as featuring in the book accompanying the exhibition, published by Bluecoat Press. The exhibited image was also acquired by The Parliamentary Art Collection
Emma is also one of the team responsible for Phillips’ and Artsy’s 2021 exclusive auction in aid of The Ian Parry Scholarship. Featuring work by over 200 of the world’s most celebrated photographers, more than £250,000 was raised to support young and emerging photojournalists worldwide.
She is co-owner of the photographic agency Camera Press and directed and produced the documentary Camera Press at 70 : A Lifetime In Pictures made to celebrate their platinum anniversary which accompanied the exhibition of the same name that she curated. She was previously the director of the Tom Blau Gallery housed at the agency where she was responsible for an innovative exhibition programme of contemporary and vintage photography.
Emma sits on the Photographers’ Gallery Young Patrons’ Committee and is a mentor for Arts Emergency, an award-winning charity and support network which helps young people get a fair start in the arts and humanities.
Exhibitions
209 Women | Houses of Parliament, London, UK |
Open Eye Gallery, Liverpool, UK | |
Face Forward | Lisson Grove, Bernhardt Crescent & Jerome Crescent, Westminster, London, UK |
Light | New Orleans Photo Alliance Gallery, New Orleans, USA |
People of Today | National Portrait Gallery, London, UK |
(IN)VISIBLE (IN)SIGHTS | Hereford Photographic Festival, Hereford, UK |
(IN)VISIBLE (IN)SIGHTS | Guardian Newsroom, London, UK |
(IN)VISIBLE (IN)SIGHTS | Menier Gallery, London, UK |
Stopgaps | Sosho, London, UK |
Scopophillia | Gallery Westland Place, London, UK |
Synthetix | Goldsmiths College, London, UK |
Awards / Grants
Face Forward | Funding awarded by Westminster City Council. Exhibition included as part of Photo London and London Festival of Architecture public programmes. |
(IN)VISIBLE (IN)SIGHTS | Funding awarded by London Arts through the Regional Arts Lottery Fund (Arts Council England) and the Association of London Government Arts Fund |
(IN)VISIBLE (IN)SIGHTS | Flash Forward from The Magenta Foundation, Canada, Winner |
(IN)VISIBLE (IN)SIGHTS | Citigroup Photography Prize, Nominated |
(IN)VISIBLE (IN)SIGHTS | Observer Hodge Award, Highly Commended |
Beachcombing | Selected for exhibition at New Orleans Photo Alliance Gallery, New Orleans, USA |