A spontaneous and very direct photographer, a photographer of inspiration.
British Journal of Photography

An elegy as well as a celebration. Poetic, uproarious, and thunderously nostalgic
– The Times (describing the film based on Konttinen’s work and featuring 400 of her photographs)

‘The sandy beaches of North East England are beautiful... the high-spirited happenings are spontaneous, generous acts of Geordie exuberance. Here you find yourself laughing with your fellow creatures; and before you know it, you too have been transformed into a child, adding your antics to the array of contented eccentricity.’

Finnish born, Sirkka-Liisa Konttinen’s work has attracted considerable acclaim. The New Statesman has described her photographs as ‘masterpieces of representation – political as well as photographic…’ whilst New Society said ‘Here is a sensibility, a wisdom of the eye and the heart that makes this collection unforgettable’. She holds the distinction of having had her work toured in 1985 in China by the British Council as the first photographic exhibition from Britain after the Cultural Revolution. She has continued to exhibit widely.

A founder member of Amber, a unique collective of filmmakers and photographers, based in Newcastle, in the north east of England, Konttinen works both in photography and film. Her projects Byker, Step by Step, and Writing in The Sand have each evolved into books, exhibitions and films. Writing in the Sand is itself the culmination of twenty five years work. A major retrospective of Amber’s work was recently shown at London’s National Film Theatre, including screenings of Writing in the Sand based on Konttinen’s work and featuring 400 of her photographs.