Raleigh Now Spotlight: photographer Christer Berg

MULTIFACETED
Photography exhibit showcases “the fabric of Raleigh”

by Jessie Ammons
photograph by Christer Berg

When Raleigh photographer Christer Berg’s work fills the Betty Ray McCain art gallery at the Duke Energy Center for Performing Arts Aug. 10, portraits of of city leaders will hang alongside those of everyday Raleighites. “I’ve really realized the value of diversity and different perspectives,” Berg says.

Since 2012, Berg has been capturing “ordinary citizens who together do extraordinary things, for our community and for each other,” he says. He’s done that with a series of powerful studio portraits called Portraits with Purpose, and also with unscripted, candid snapshots of people like firefighters, pastors, cobblers, and baristas in his series called The Fabric of Raleigh and The Fabric of Durham. Selections from all three collections will be on display Aug. 10 – Oct. 1. “I’ve seen how we all contribute our various talents, passions, and professional work to society in so many ways that add up to a vibrant, diverse, interesting community,” Berg says.

Berg also collaborated with Durham-based Horse and Buggy press to create a limited-edition hardcover book of The Fabric of Raleigh and The Fabric of Durham. Each series comprises half of the double-sided book. They meet in the middle, where a reader can flip the book upside down to begin the next series. The quirky binding felt like the best format for these photos, Berg says. “I have met so many interesting people and heard their stories.”