Lightness of being.
Ann Arbor, MI
My aspiration for this work is to prepare minds and hearts for the natural processes of aging, and to lead people to greater acceptance of the consequences of aging for themselves and others. I would like the public to face up to challenges like dementia without judging those who live with it. Perhaps growing old wouldn’t inspire so much fear and avoidance in this culture if we knew that we would be acknowledged, accepted, and treated favorably no matter how advanced our age.
I expanded my project from one culture to another in order to gain knowledge about both the universal and the culturally specific aspects of aging and the acceptance of the elderly in societies around the world. The aging process is inevitable: it doesn’t discriminate among races, religions, ethnicities or genders. I hope that my work will remind people that older individuals, even those suffering from Alzheimer’s or other diseases, comprise a very special segment of our society. They hold our cultural experiences, traditions, and history.
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I have been participant in the following exhibitions:
2007 Exhibition at JCC, Ann Arbor
2008 Exhibition in Detroit, accompanied by the fund raising for non-profit organization FOCOS.
All proceeds were donated to FOCOS
2009 Photograph was selected and published by Carlton Book in 'Sacred Journeys' by Rebecca Hint
2009 Solo Exhibition at University of Michigan Hospital, Taubman Center, 48 photographs
2010 Exhibition at JCC, Ann Arbor
2011 Published in ZOOM--Russia magazine, Russians Everywhere segment. Two pages spread includes five photographs and the article written by Irina Tchmyreva
http://www.zoom-russia.ru/last_number.htm
2011 During months of March and April I am participating in the exhibition Women and Photography: Mirror Image, Florissant Valley Art Gallery, St. Louis, MO
I think of myself as an explorer out to discover life while trying to record and understand the essence of human character. I am a documentary photographer addressing social issues that concern me.
Formally a Mechanical Engineer, I became a photographer because of my desire to explore different worlds, to seek and document unique cultures, and to advocate against the dilution of those cultures into a dangerous and dull societal uniformity. My aspiration—to share the stories of the people I meet—is based upon my deep belief that the world is a beautiful and mystifying place, and that the people who inhabit it are enigmatic and fascinating creatures, each with their own unique experience.
Born in Minsk, Belarus, I have lived in Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA since 1979.
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Aging, Spirituality, Global Health, Healthcare access, Aging, elderly, caring, caregivers, Alzheimer\'s, dementia, disease, health, disease
I expanded my project to different countries in order to observe the elderly in countries other than our owe. During the last years I photographed in Romania, Mexico, Japan and Ukraine. In United State I photographed in Maine, Los Angeles CA, Ann Arbor, and Cleveland OH.
The project has been financed by my family.
Recently I went to Ghana to photograph the work of Ortho-FOCOS (Foundation of Orthopedic and Complex Spine) group. Working for a non-profit organization like FOCOS was an absolute revelation to me: it taught me the meaning of genuine giving. Being a part of the team made me grow as a human being and as a photographer. I have just finished the book about these American doctors who treated thousand of bone disorders in Ghana.
Ludmila Ketslakh
3130 Mills Ct.
Ann Arbor, MI 48104
Web: www.ludaketslakh.com
E-mail: lketslakh@comcast.net
Phone: 734-975-9330
