The beginning of the 2018 season at the Komechak Art Gallery starts off with a terrific exhibit of photographs by Naperville native and Benedictine University alumn, Karl Grobl. Grobl has become well-known for his work with NGOs from around the world, often going into war-ravaged places and site of humanitarian crisis. He has traveled the world, working mostly in Africa, India, Southeast Asia,the Caribbean and Central America. He now lives in Cambodia, but is in the Chicago area for the unveiling of the first ever exhibition of his ground-breaking and award-winning work.
Grobl manages to capture the situation at hand with a quick eye, letting us see not just what he experiences, but what the people in the current situation are experiencing. It is tough work, at times photographing victims of HIV/Aids, victims of the 2004 Indonesian tsunami that killed over 250,000 people and affected 14 nations, photographing young Buddhist monks as they go about their studies, and photographing anti-human trafficking workers as they try to persuade young women away from their profession.
He manages to capture the eyes of his subjects so we understand their plights better, but he also brings to his subjects a spiritual and ever-present sense of hope and uplifting. It is a tenuous balance, but Grobl achieves it easily and well. The exhibition will be on display at the Komechak from January 16 through the end of February, 2018. A panel discussion with the artist and several members of the faculty at benedictine University will be open and to the public on Wednesday, January 17, starting at 1:00 pm. on the fifth floor of Kindlon Hall, opposite of the Komechak Art Gallery. An art reception for the exhibition will follow immediately after the panel discussion, starting at 3:00 pm.
Grobl's images have appeared in publications such as Newsweek, CNN, Geo and Town and Country magazine. He has covered post conflict peacebuilding efforts in Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and East Timor, HIV/Aids issues in Africa and Asia as well as human trafficking in Cambodia and the Philippines. His 2005 Haiti photo-story "City of God" was nominated for a World Press Photo Award.
In addition to his international travel, he teaches photography workshops and leads international photography tours. He is a member of the National Press Photographers Association. He's also a member of the Advisory Counsel of Focus For Humanity, a nonprofit organization that provides financial support, resources and training for professional and amateur photographers wishing to work with NGOs.
Grobl graduated from Benedictine University, then Illinois Benedictine College (IBC), in 1983 with a degree in Physical Education.
"The wide variety of skills and experiences gained while attending IBC helped open my eyes to countless possibilities and provided me with the confidence needed to explore, experiment and ultimately choose a career which I am deeply passionate about," Grobl said.
For more information about Grobl’s work, visit his website at www.karlgrobl.com/, and visit the art gallery website at www.ben.edu/artgallery.
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