Tudor Rhys Etchells: From Immigration Lawyer to BJP Ones to Watch 2025

The British Journal of Photography has selected Tudor Rhys Etchells for its Ones to Watch 2025 list, following a nomination by Isaac Blease from the Martin Parr Foundation. Etchells, who was born in Wales in 1994, recently completed his MA in documentary photography at the University of South Wales. His background as an immigration lawyer in Cardiff has significantly influenced his artistic practice, particularly in addressing the complexities of citizenship and migration. His series, A Reasonable Degree of Likelihood, utilizes self-portraits and images of bureaucratic environments to highlight the alienation experienced in immigration offices. In his latest project, Available Potential Guaranteed, he explores Turkey's Citizenship by Investment program, which has received over 40,000 applications and generated more than $15 billion since 2017. Etchells visited Istanbul to document properties linked to this initiative, incorporating a durational performance into his work. This project was showcased at BayArt in Cardiff, where he serves as an associate artist. He draws inspiration from the writings of Ariella Aïsha Azoulay to inform his critical perspective on the portrayal of migrants.