Tom Stoddart exhibition opens at Leica Gallery London

Posted on Nov 6, 2024

Leica Gallery London is hosting Tom Stoddart: Legacy, an exhibition featuring 25 photographs by the British photojournalist

Running from 5 November 2024 to 2 January 2025, the exhibition highlights Stoddart’s impactful career spanning over five decades, capturing both historic events and intimate moments.

Stoddart, who began his career with a chance position as a trainee photographer, rose to prominence by documenting pivotal global moments.

Black and white photo of a young male gymnast in China, adjusting the bandages on his hands with a focused expression, highlighting strength and dedication.

In the 1950s Mao Zedong decided that sporting success was important to bring international glory and prestige to China. Each year thousands of children, some as young as four, are enrolled in the schools and begin the harsh training regimes designed to turn them into Olympic winners. Wuhan, China, 1993. © Tom Stoddart

Black and white photograph of two young girls crossing a street in Northern Ireland, with police officers and armoured vehicles in the background, reflecting the everyday impact of conflict on children.

A young girl wearing her mother's shoes holds hands with her sister beside policemen from the Royal Ulster Constabulary at a checkpoint in Belfast during the Northern Ireland troubles. Northern Ireland 1991. © Tom Stoddart

Black and white photograph of a young boy clinging to the side of a large, weathered poster of Nelson Mandela. The torn and worn sections of the poster give it a textured, powerful feel.

A supporter at ANC rally in South Africa peers from behind a sign bearing the image of their President Nelson Mandela. South Africa 1994. © Tom Stoddart

The exhibition showcases images from significant events, including the fall of the Berlin Wall, the Romanian Revolution, Nelson Mandela’s inauguration as South Africa’s president, and more.

His powerful work extended beyond war zones; Stoddart also collaborated with humanitarian organisations like Médecins Sans Frontières and Oxfam, highlighting human suffering and resilience.

The exhibition is open daily between 5 November 2024 and 2 January 2025. For more information, visit the website.

Black and white photo of a woman on a tractor holding her child close, another woman sits nearby looking into the distance, capturing the emotional toll on refugees from Kosovo.

After arriving at a refugee camp in Kukes, Albania, a mother is reunited with her children after being separated from them on the journey after being ‘ethnically cleansed’ out of Kosovo by Serb forces, 1999. © Tom Stoddart

Black and white photo of couples kissing in front of a mural on the Berlin Wall depicting a famous embrace between Soviet and East German leaders, a juxtaposition of past political tension and modern love.

Couples kiss in front of Russian painter Dimitri Vladimiorvich Vrubel's most famous work known as 'My God, help me to survive this deadly love' on a section of the former Berlin Wall at the East Side Gallery in Berlin, 2014. © Tom Stoddart