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Kevin Clogstoun, who has lived in Melbourne for the past 36 years, turned to photojournalism as a means of rediscovering Sri Lanka, the country of his birth. In the process, he has had to come to terms with a society which has suffered grievous injuries brought on by political division and by natural disasters.
He is sensitive to the need to engage people in these experiences through the collection of photographic images. He has spent much time seeking these subjects in Australia and has travelled over the past decade in India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka

EXHIBITIONS

In Melbourne in 1995, Clogstoun carried out an extensive behind-the-scenes assignment on the fractured lives of circus people and their families. An exhibition of these photographs entitled ‘Circus Capers’ was held, by invitation, at Melbourne’s Caulfield Arts Complex;

In 1996, Clogstoun also carried out research and photographed the homeless of Melbourne, in conjunction with the Council to Homeless Persons. He was invited to exhibit the results of his study ‘Homeless in a Lucky Country’, at The Galleria Banking Chamber Victoria. [Curator Karan Crinall – Monash University).

In 1997, Clogstoun attended the annual festival of eunuchs at Kovakkam in Tamilnadu, South India, documenting the celebrations of these much despised outcasts of society;

In 1997 Clogstoun also prepared a photo-journalistic essay on the culture and lives of the people of Sri Lanka. These photographs titled “Sri Lankan Images” were shown at an exhibition at the Barefoot Gallery (Gallery 706) in Colombo, Sri Lanka, to great acclaim;

In 1999, Clogstoun visited the camps set up for the rehabilitation of soldiers injured in the civil war in Sri Lanka. The photographs he took there formed part of an exhibition to document the activities of the Sri Lanka Army then marking it’s 50th anniversary celebrations.

In 2000/2001 Clogstoun completed three months of travel photographing life in Rajasthan, North India and Bangladesh.

In 2003 – The results of these visits to Sri Lanka and India (Rajasthan, Varanasi, and Calcutta) was seen in an exhibition entitled ‘My Country – My Neighbour’ at the Barefoot Gallery, Colombo – Sri Lanka.

In 2003 – Clogstoun presented “A view of Sri Lanka” – an exhibition held at the Alliance Francaise Gallery Melbourne. The sales of these images recorded the highest revenue raised by the Gallery through a public exhibition.
Clogstoun received his formal training at the Photography Studies College, Melbourne, but he also considers himself as self-taught and to have learned by working closely with other photographers. He also acknowledges the influence of such photographers, as Sebastiao Salgado, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Robert Frank, Alex Webb and other Magnum photographers.
His work has appeared in many Australian and International publications.