Chieska Fortune Smith
Chieska was born in Baltimore, Ohio, the daughter of a Japanese dancer and American soul singer. She lived in Japan for 8 years where she started street photography and recording close personal relationships between family and friends. She moved to the UK in 2009 where she met Brett Walker, Jack Davison, Conor Williams and Lydia Roberts who were part of the ‘Young Satellites’ group. Carl Falck was already working with three of the ‘Young Satellites’ and met Chieska in early 2013 through Brett Walker and Conor Williams. He was immediately attracted towards her strong emotional content, melancholy and her intriguing 'old soul' sense of curiosity. There is a feeling that closely kept secrets are being revealed in her photography and even the awkward and the strange moments reveal a hidden beauty. Her patient observation of unrehearsed, uninvited and inexplicable moments, reveal a certain intimacy which we are invited to share.
