Akila Berjaoui

 

Akila Berjaoui's film photography takes us to breathtaking seaside locations, from her hometown of Sydney, to the bathing hotspots of Italy, France and Brazil.

Her photography captures sand, sun, water—or a combination of all three, much in the tradition of Slim Arons, Bruce Weber, Claude Nori, and Juergen Teller—all of whom she regards as influences on her work.

Akila Berjaoui’s sun-streamed photographs of bathing beauties are steeped with the heady colours of late 70s and early 80s photography. Her film photographs seem to emerge from another time; every detail is rich in the romance of 20th century travel, right down to the Campari red beach brollies, sporty Speedos and azure-striped sun loungers dotting pristine, almost tourist-free white coves. Even the bodies – the soft curves and sandy tan lines of Berjaoui’s often unsuspecting subjects – hark back to a pre-selfie era.