The photographer Soo Burnell grew up in Edinburgh and found herself inspired early in her life by the beautiful buildings and architecture of Scotland’s capital.
One of her formative experiences was swimming at Glenogle Baths, where she’d later to go on to photograph for a project. During the project she was reminded of the serenity found in these spaces and so started a new direction in her photography.
Soo visited other historic pools around her home-city to capture their unique architecture. An exhibition, “Poolside” was displayed in 2018, with her following up the project with other notable pools around the UK including in locations such as Aberdeen, Manchester and London. A notable location was the London Aquatics Centre, designed by the noted architect Zaha Hadid.
In recent years, Soo has gone on to photograph pools across Europe and beyond, having recently returned from Japan where she shot a series of traditional bathhouses for a new collection, At the Onsen.
Unsurprisingly, the work has grabbed the attention of many notable figures around the world. Soo has been exhibited in various venues across the globe. Her first book, To the Water was published in 2021, with a second updated edition recently published too. It’s probably also no surprise to discover that her work has been featured in the popular “Accidentally Wes Anderson” books.
Soo’s absolutely gorgeous images are at once vibrant and serene. I love the striking pops of colours in the bathing suits, and the painstakingly crafted symmetry displayed within the images.
I follow Soo’s work on Instagram and every time one of her pictures pops up in my feed it stops me in my tracks. I’d highly encourage you to give her a follow, too.
Soo Burnell will be exhibiting at the Affordable Art Fair in Battersea, 4-8 March. A collection of her work will be on display at The Art Buyer Gallery on Stand H1. See the Affordable Art Fair website for more details.
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