Michael J Duke – Biography

Born in Northampton (UK) Michael spent fifteen years living in Israel. He has been taking photographs since he got his first camera – a Kodak Brownie 127 Box – for his 9th birthday, acting as the family photographic diarist. A number of his images were popular (and several definitely NOT popular) !

Although his photography took a fair bit of his leisure time, it was only in 2000 when he joined the Tel Aviv Camera Club that Michael took the photographic world a lot more seriously. The TACC Chairman – Moshe Taub – helped Michael get his first exhibition at the Mercaz Bikurei Ha Itim in 2001 and again a year later in the same place. At the same time, Michael had images accepted in the TACC group exhibitions. It was during this time that Michael joined the International Freelance Photographers Organization based in the USA – a membership that has been very useful considering the security situation in Israel and then later in London.

Taking what he had learned from Moshe Taub, Michael then got two further solo exhibitions – one in the Holon Municipality in December 2003 and Beit Tammi in Tel Aviv in October 2004 while also continuing to exhibit with the TACC.

During 2003 to 2004, Michael helped Moshe Taub & Rommi Goldhammer with the setting up of the Ventures Group of Song-writers, Poets, Artists and Photographers which was a group that mixed the various artistic outputs for cards, CD's, calendars and other products. Michael became the group Publicity Secretary, maintaining good contact with the Jerusalem Post.

In January 2005, Michael returned to London and instantly joined up with the Isle of Wight Photographic Society and then the Hampstead Photographic Society. These are two very different clubs with two very different attitudes. Michael went on to serve the HPS for three years as Programme and Publicity Secretary from 2005 to 2008. During this time, he initiated the HPS Newsletter (2006) which he continues to edit. It almost died in it's infancy when the club set up the website, but there was a mini-rebellion and is now counted as needed archive material as well as a source of information.

Since returning to London, Michael has had numerous exhibitions in North and North West London and also at Warwick University. He has appeared in group exhibitions for both the Hampstead and the Isle of Wight Photographic Societies as well as having a number of images in Ventnor in the Isle of Wight celebrating the Ventnor Library 70th Anniversary. He has also given numerous talks in London and Warwick as well as entering numerous competitions and getting acceptances into various international Salons.

Since 2013, Michael has entered international salons and has a number accepted, including Sydney Harbour, Wrekin, Port Talbot and Midlands as well as in on-line galleries such as Light, Space and Time and the Lublin PS (Poland). In 2016, Michael had a photographic image accepted into the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition (UK) and in 2017 had an acceptance into a group exhibition at the Ben Uri Museum and gallery in London NW8. Hi next two solo exhibition were at the Phoenix Cinema in East FInchley in September 2017 and 2018. He achieved two photographic distinctions - QPSA in 2018 and AFIAP in 2019 before exhibiting at the XII Florence Biennial of Contemporary Art in Italy during October 2019 and with the Hampstead Arts Council ins Central Dt Giles in London's West End in February 2020 just before coronavirus caused total lock-down.

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