Current exhibition - Leica Gallery New York

Maria Guțu

Homeland

January 15 - February 15, 2006

Following its successful debut at Leica Store & Gallery Boston, Leica Gallery New York is proud to present Homeland, a solo exhibition by Moldovan photographer Maria Guțu, winner of the 2024 Leica Oskar Barnack Newcomer Award (LOBA). Opening on Thursday, January 15, the exhibition explores themes of memory, belonging, and socio-economic transformation in the Republic of Moldova. Homeland will be on view through February 15, 2026.

“Following my last recent solo exhibition at Leica Boston, I am honored to bring my work to New York City, one of the world’s most influential centers for art, culture, and visual storytelling,” says Gutu. “Exhibiting in New York carries a particular significance: it is a city where creative voices from around the globe converge, challenge one another, and shape contemporary artistic dialogue.”

In Homeland (2019–2023), Guțu reflects on her upbringing in a rural Moldovan village, documenting the people and landscapes that shaped her early life. Her work balances nostalgia with social realism, capturing both the enduring beauty and the quiet struggles of her community. Children wandering through fields, men playing traditional music, and empty rural vistas evoke a sense of longing while questioning what remains when so many have left in search of opportunity elsewhere.

“The Republic of Moldova is my home—beautiful, complex, and full of contradictions,” says Guțu. “My images are my way of reconciling love for its nature and people with the frustration of its limitations. It’s both a tribute and a question about the meaning of belonging.” 

Guțu’s was the 2024 LOBA Newcomer Award recipient, an award that celebrates emerging photographers who illuminate the relationship between humanity and the environment. Homeland embodies the spirit of storytelling that defines Leica’s cultural mission—to champion authentic visual narratives and amplify new voices shaping contemporary documentary photography.

Through this exhibition, Leica Gallery New York reaffirms its commitment to supporting art and culture, fostering visibility and opportunities for emerging talents from around the world. Homeland reflects Leica’s mission to highlight the human stories behind the lens and to celebrate photography’s power to document, question, and connect.

“New York has long been shaped by photographers whose work cut deeply into the emotional, psychological, and human side of the city,” says Gutu. “For me, presenting this exhibition in New York is not only an important milestone, but an opportunity to engage with a broader and more diverse audience. The city’s energy, openness, and visual intensity resonate deeply with the themes in my work, making this exhibition both a continuation and an evolution of my artistic journey.”