Harley Weir’s photography has become synonymous with a way-of-seeing that is empathetic and true, approaching bodies, nature and materials with a tenderness that feels transcendent. Across commercial and editorial work, photography and filmmaking, the London-born artist has traced a visual atmosphere that has left an indelible impression, one imbued with a highly-attuned sense of colour and composition. An imagemaker who constantly subverts the expected, Weir has greatly influenced ideas of how a woman’s gaze might be engaged with, reshaped and made new in our current era.
For Weir, the camera is her tool for gaining knowledge, a deeply-felt imagemaking practice that extends into her personal projects. Wherever she travels, the photographer seeks a deep sense of collaboration with her subjects and their environment, an attitude that extends to forming partnerships beyond the frame. With her own varied projects, Weir has sought to increase awareness around plastic waste, the rights of refugees and migrants, marine conservation, and therapeutic support for young people, as well as raise funds for organisations supporting those causes.
To date, Weir has published five books: ‘Homes and Paintings’ with Loose Joints, 2016 and 2017; ‘Function’ with Baron, 2018; ‘Louis Vuitton Fashion Eye Iran’, 2018; and ‘Father’ with IDEA Books, 2019. Elsewhere, her work has also extended beyond the page to be exhibited at institutions like Foam Amsterdam – where her work is now part of the institution’s permanent collection – as well as Hannah Barry Gallery, Fabrica Gallery, 180 the Strand and MEP Gallery. Her latest show, taking place at Hannah Barry gallery in spring 2022, showcased unseen work as well as new, experimental pieces.
Weir’s widely-acclaimed editorial work has appeared in magazines such as Vogue Italia, L’Uomo Vogue, American Vogue, The Face, Re-Edition, Self-Service, W Magazine, Dazed, Pop, Marfa Journal, British Vogue, T Magazine, i-D, AnOther, System and M Le Monde; her brand collaborations across print and film have included Balenciaga, Gucci, Isabel Marant, Marc Jacobs, Blumarine, Ambush, Versace, Proenza Schouler, Salvatore Ferragamo, Courrèges, Missoni, Dior, as well as projects spotlighting her home city’s design talents such as Wales Bonner, Simone Rocha and Charlotte Knowles.