Leica Gallery Boston presents Homeland, a solo exhibition by Moldovan photographer Maria Guțu, winner of the 2024 Leica Oskar Barnack Newcomer Award (LOBA). Opening on Friday, November 7, the exhibition explores themes of memory, belonging, and socio-economic transformation in the Republic of Moldova. Homeland will be on view through January 4, 2026.
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.
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.
“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.”
Through this exhibition, Leica Gallery Boston 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.
As part of the exhibition program, Leica Store & Gallery Boston will host an opening reception on Friday, November 7, from 6:00 to 8:00 PM, inviting guests to experience Homeland by Maria Guțu in person.
Exhibition Hours:
Leica Gallery Boston is open Monday through Saturday, 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM, and Sunday from 12:00 PM – 5:00 PM.
Leica Store and Gallery Boston
74 Arlington St, Boston, MA 02116; (857) 305-3609
