Personal Profile
Gordwin Odhiambo is a photojournalist, documentary photographer based in Nairobi, Kenya. His work focuses on daily life and development issues both within the community, nationally, and internationally. These include; education, arts and culture, environment and climate change, healthcare, technology and community, community development projects, special corporate assignments, and editorial work. Born in Kibera, Gordwin started his photography as a way to depict his community the way he sees it. Growing up, the photos he saw online from here - Kibera, only depicted dramatic situations with mostly published photos of suffering. He wanted to show the everyday life that he believes tells the true stories of a place. As an insider community photographer, his instagram photos have garnered accolades due to the true representation they depict of his home community. With awareness on local, and international development issues, his visuals always aim to drive the story forward Gordwin studied at the University of Nairobi, School of Biological and Physical Sciences. He underwent a professional training, and volunteer program on local and international development by Oxfam/ICS/VSO at the coast of Kenya. Gordwin has done and assisted in production of assignemnts for various publications and media houses; these include; National Geographic, Magnum Foundation, Getty Images, Nationa Public Radio (NPR), Concern International, NYtimes, Der Spiegel, La Monde...
Photography Talks:
Esat African Photo awards - Uganda Press Photo AwardsPhotography Workshops:
VII Photo Foundation Masterclass - 2018
During the program, industry experts mentor the participants, sharing their personal experience and knowledge. By engaging in dialogue with the masters, as well as with their fellow participants, the program aims to build relationships that will help develop the participants’ work in the future.
Noor Photojournalism Masterclass - 2021
The NOOR Masterclass on “Capturing Climate Change” (8-11 Nov), led by award-winning NOOR author Kadir van Lohuizen, will empower 8 selected, young photojournalists by facilitating the development of their journalistic, investigative skills and visual mastery. By telling stories on the local impacts of climate change in Tanzania and Kenya to raise awareness, provoke debate and inspire change on the climate crisis and its effects on the urban youth in Tanzania and Kenya.
World Press Photo Foundation - 2018
So sehen afrikanische Fotograf*innen ihren Kontinent Krankheit, Krieg und Korruption – all dies fällt vielen Menschen in der westlichen Welt als erstes zu Afrika ein. Dass es dort neben all den Katastrophen auch Alltagsleben gibt, zeigt das Fotoprojekt „Everyday Africa“. Nach dem großen Erfolg im letzten Jahr ist auch 2021 eine Auswahl von Aufnahmen in Oldenburg zu sehen. Im Rahmen der World-Press-Photo-Ausstellung vom 20. März bis zum 11. April werden 50 neue Bilder gezeigt.
Exhibitions:
Basel Takes a closer lookUganda Press Photo Awards
Awards:
IPA; Shortlist: International Sports Photographer Awards - 2021East African Photography Awards
Winner - 2021: The East African Photography Award which is open to citizens of Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda saw the top prize go to Kenyan documentary photojournalist Gordwin Odhiambo for his story ‘Reinventing and Adapting Through Coronavirus’.
Runners Up - East African Photo Awards. 2022
Slum Photography awards winner - 2018.
Constructive Journalism Fellowship - 2021.
This is DW Akademie's first Constructive Journalism Fellowship and is designed for video journalists, photographers and documentary filmmakers from the MENA region and Africa. Fellows take part in an extensive, several-month online training program and will be supported in producing a constructive TV report, documentary or photo series that deals with the COVID-19 pandemic.