ARTCaffè 108

May 9, 2026

Alan

Burles

LISTENING WITH MY EYES

About The Guest

With over two decades in advertising, beginning as an art director at Saatchi & Saatchi in the early 1980s, his fascination with photography evolved alongside a deep appreciation for simplicity and the power of ideas. He has carried a camera ever since purchasing his first Olympus XA, embracing the belief that the most valuable camera is the one you have with you. Working as a full-time photographer since 2005, his practice centers on spontaneous, unplanned moments—scenes discovered in everyday life that reveal beauty, humor, or poignancy. His photography reflects a consistent focus on the strength of the underlying idea as the driving force behind each image. His work has been exhibited and represented internationally through galleries and online platforms, and featured in publications including The Guardian Online. His photographs are held in private collections across Europe, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Asia. In 2018, he was honored with the Leica Street Photography International Award and has been featured in numerous international exhibitions and competitions. He has presented solo exhibitions, including at the Leica Gallery in London, and has undertaken commissioned work for clients such as the European Parliament, Honda, Grazia Magazine, and Big Machine Record Label Group.

About The Talk

"I am an advertising art director turned photographer and since my teenage years I have carried a camera everywhere I go. My time in advertising immersed me in the world of ideas and my photography is deeply influenced by this. I love it that life just happens and takes us where it will - because that means my camera never knows what is coming, and it is only the unknown that can astonish and surprise us. In 2018 I won the Leica/Street Photography International Award so people might categorise me as a street photographer, but I don’t feel called to conform to any particular style. My photography was reviewed in Ppaper Magazine in China recently and I managed to get the Cantonese text translated; the reviewer said: ‘Sometimes it needs you to just enjoy his work, sometimes it requires your eyes to listen to the jokes it is telling you.’ I now call the way I work Listening With My Eyes." - Alan Burles

Experience in-person at ARTCaffè living room or by Zoom

Saturday, May 9, 2026

In person social gathering in Seoul starts at 4:30 p.m.

Talk: 5:00–6:30 p.m. (Seoul time).

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Meeting ID: 522 298 6765
Passcode: AC$2026

Many thanks to ARTCaffè's Connecting Nodes

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