Laura El-Tantawy’s practice is rooted in her concern with the human condition.

Investigating notions of home and belonging, she routinely approaches her work from a social and environmental sensibility drawing on her transatlantic background. Her visual explorations often intertwine moving images, sound, and personal narratives, marked by the artist’s lyrical eye on reality.

Laura is an award winning British/Egyptian documentary photographer, book maker & educator. Born in Ronkswood in Worcestershire, UK, to Egyptian parents, she studied in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the US & UK. Living between East and West throughout her life has deeply influenced her artistic journey, providing a rich cultural tapestry for her work.

She began her career as a newspaper photographer in the United States. She turned freelance in 2005, moving to Cairo and starting what became her seminal body of work In the Shadow of the Pyramids. 

She is the first Egyptian to be awarded the prestigious W. Eugene Smith Memorial Fund Award, which honours photographers whose work reflects the humanistic tradition and compassionate dedication of W. Eugene Smith. In 2016, she was among the four artists nominated and exhibited as part of the prestigious Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation Prize, awarded annually to a photographer who made the most significant contribution to the photographic medium in Europe in that year. She is also the recipient of Prix Virginia and PhMuseum awards.

Her work has been widely exhibited across global galleries and festivals, with notable features in The New Yorker, Afar, Le Monde, Wall Street Journal, National Geographic, Time, New York Times, Huck, and Foam.

Since 2020, Laura has been a Canon Global Ambassador, representing the future of visual storytelling and innovation, while also honouring the ‘silent heroes’—the staff and visionary engineers who make her work possible.

Laura embraces her identity as an independent visual creative, valuing the freedom to explore and challenge traditional boundaries. Through her work, she aims to create socially engaged, thought-provoking visual narratives that challenge perceptions and inspire transformative change. She often collaborates with like-minded individuals, institutions, and organisations committed to responsible storytelling and positive social change.