From Thailand's hill villages to Ecuador's marketplaces, Fairfield photographer Claudia Schechter travels the globe, capturing with her lens the commonalities that exist among all of us. "People from Foreign Lands," a collection of Schechter's photographs, will be on display at Fairfield University's Thomas J. Walsh Art Gallery from March 26 through May 5. An opening day reception is planned for Tuesday, March 26 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m, with the artist leading an informal gallery walk-through at 6:30 p.m.

With camera in tow, Schechter has journeyed to India, Africa, Thailand, China, Korea and the Middle East. She has also traveled throughout Europe, South America, Mexico and the United States. Wherever she goes, Schechter sets her subjects at ease, catching curious youngsters and shy adults as they interact with the camera and with one another in their villages, homes, schools and marketplaces. Her subjects may wear different dress and celebrate different customs, but, according to Schechter, they are one and the same, bound by shared experiences of laughter and grief, friendship and family.

One of Schechter's images captures two boys from a hill village in Thailand, dressed in their native jackets and sharing a laugh. Another depicts an Ecuadorian grandmother, seated on the marketplace steps and sharing an orange with her granddaughter. And a third, taken in Jordan, illustrates the difference in dress for Muslim women: The boy is dressed in Western-style clothing, while the women wear long robes and head coverings.

As a freelance photographer, Schechter takes portraits and public relations photographs for corporate, medical and travel clients. She has a background in medical and photographic sales and a degree in biomedical photography/communications from the Rochester Institute of Technology.

The Walsh Gallery is located in the Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts. Schechter's work can be viewed Tuesdays through Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Sundays from noon to 4 p.m. Admission is free. For more information, call the gallery at (203) 254-4000 ext. 2969.

Posted On: 03-24-2002 09:03 AM

Volume: 34 Number: 174