Sites of Agency: Studio Photography (Bilingual)

Drawing on the National Gallery of Canada’s collection, alongside works from other institutions and community archives, this catalogue explores the photographic studio as more than a site of image-making, but as a space of exchange and creative negotiation. From early daguerreotypes and 19th-century studio practices to contemporary approaches, it shows how artists, sitters, and photographers have used the camera to express identity, heritage, and voice across diverse cultural contexts. More than any other medium, photography offers the possibility of being seen, remembered, and affirmed. Combined, these images reveal the studio as a powerful site of agency, where those before the lens can declare themselves positively to the world. 

300 pages 
22.9 x 29.2 cm (9 x 11.5 in.) 
Publication date: 2026