Elsa Bleda’s nocturnal cityscapes began as a personal exploration of her adopted hometown, Johannesburg, with a distinct focus on light and its absence. Despite it being deeply anchored in a specific locale, her work permeates with an air of haunting universality through its use of long-exposure photography: moving elements and passers-by are blurred, while the ubiquitous fluorescent glare of neon signs remains sharply in focus. Recently, Bleda has shifted her focus to technology, collaborating with South African tech companies on immersive, augmented reality projects.

Bleda has also collaborated with major international brands, shooting Apple’s One Night campaign for the release of the iPhone 7. Recent solo exhibitions include Memories of Dreams, TMRW Gallery, Johannesburg (2019); Nightscapes: Cape Town, Red Bull Studios, Cape Town (2017) and Nightscapes: Johannesburg, Kalashnikovv Gallery, Johannesburg (2016).