Derek Eland
Cumbria, U.K.-based artist Derek Eland gathers stories from around the globe, piecing together what it means to be human in difficult and dangerous situations. His “Diary Rooms Afghanistan” project asked soldiers and civilians to write on postcards about what it was like to be on the frontlines. Eland spent the 2016 climbing season at Everest Base Camp, collecting moving and occasionally heartbreaking, handwritten stories from climbers, cooks, Sherpas and porters. The confessional-style project included people from 25 countries in 12 languages, and many of those who participated were later injured or killed on the highest mountain in the world. Eland has a degree in politics and also served in the Army, reaching the rank of captain in the Parachute Regiment.