Written by Carla Bayo
Gema Polanco is Spanish born photographer who left her home in Valencia at the age of 18 to complete a BA(Hons) in Photography at the London College of Communication (University of the Arts London) under the teaching of artists such as Escher Teichmann and Tom Hunter. Gema currently works and lives in London.
At a young age, Gema had an interest in collage and photography that persists to this day. Her practices predominantly explore the disappearance of the darkroom, and as a consequence, the loss of materiality in photography. Gema cites her Spanish background as being an important influence and is strongly reflected in her work, particularly due to the economic recession and its horrible impact on her country.