World Unseen - Interview with Brent Stirton, Photographer, Rhino Wars

Season 2, Episode 450,   Apr 05, 11:05 AM

Canon Europe, in partnership with the RNIB, has created a truly accessible photography exhibition designed for all with ‘World Unseen’, inviting visitors, blind, partially sighted and sighted to experience photography at Somerset House, Strand, London from 5-7 April 2024.

Canon believes images have the power to change the world - There are at least 2.2 billion people globally who have some form of visual impairment, for whom photography remains largely out of reach. Designed with the experience of blind and partially sighted people in mind, the exhibition features a series of photographs taken by world-renowned photographers. These are accompanied by elevated prints, audio descriptions, soundscapes and braille for a tactile experience that helps visitors connect with these powerful images and the stories they tell.

RNIB Connect Radio’s Toby Davey attended the launch event of ‘World Unseen’ on Thursday 4 April 2024 and spoke with Brent Stirton, Photographer of ‘Rhino Wars’, who chatted about meeting up with Lawrence Gunther, Blind Conservationist, showing him the raised print of ‘Rhino Wars’, his other photojournalism work that has featured visually impaired people and how great it is to be able to have his and the other photographers work in World Unseen made accessible to everyone. 

‘World Unseen’ features works from world-renowned photographers and Canon ambassadors from around the globe, including multi-award-winning South African photojournalist Brent Stirton, renowned Brazilian Photojournalist Sebastião Salgado, Nigerian photojournalist Yagazie Emezi, sports photographer Samo Vidic, fashion photographer Heidi Rondak and Pulitzer winning photojournalist Muhammed Muheisen.  

An accompanying video series features partially sighted individuals, including British disability activist, Lucy Edwards, and Menna Fitzpatrick MBE, Britain’s most decorated Winter Paralympian, who have collaborated with Canon to tell their stories and show their reaction to experiencing this photography for the first time. 

There are still a few places available to visit ‘World Unseen’’ at Somerset House in central London however, the photographs featured in the exhibition along with the immersive descriptive audio and more can be found by visiting the Cannon VIEW website - https://www.canon.co.uk/view/


Image shows Toby feeling the tactile version of Brent's photograph 'Rhino Wars', a photograph of three men with rifles around a white rhino. There is a large illuminated print of the image with a screen in front obscuring it designed to simulate the symptoms of moderate diabetic retinopathy