Biographie
Tamara Eckhardt as a portrait and documentary photographer in Berlin.
In 2021 she completed her photography studies at the Ostkreuzschule in Berlin and since the beginning of 2022 she is a member of the renowned
agency OSTKREUZ. Her photographic works mainly deal with marginalized social groups and minorities - she is particularly interested in people on the threshold of growing up.
She is a winner of Kuala Lumpur Award, Gute Aussichten Award, Kolga Tbilisi Photo Award, BFF Förderpreis, Women in Photo Award, Meitar Award and other awards. Her works have been exhibited several times and presented at international photo festivals worldwide.
Présentation
St Mary’s Park on King’s Island in Limerick was built in the 1930’s as the city’s first social housing estate. It was established to accommodate families who lived in overcrowded, poor quality housing.
Because of its geographic location, bordered by the River Shannon, the estate is almost isolated from the surrounding city - locals and insiders refer to the area as The Island Field. St Mary’s Park is the most socially deprived area in Ireland, it suffers from high levels of unemployment, addiction and social problems. Nevertheless it has a strong community spirit where everyone knows everyone, is fiercely loyal and defensive, and suspicious of outsiders. Tamara Eckhardt portrays the lives of the young people of St Mary’s Park, continuing her focus on the theme of childhood and growing up. The living conditions in the area are difficult; yet the young people develop coping skills, adapt and find ways to divert themselves. Tamara Eckhardt has revisited the estate over a two year period becoming more familiar with the community. She has spent so much time with the young people that they have come to suspend suspicion and trust in her and her camera.