Rona Bar and Ofek Avshalom, working collectively as Fotómetro, have spent years documenting the intersection of identity, home, and personal relationships. Their latest project, a series titled Lois and Carey, emerged from an initial search for subjects for their exhibition Proof of Existence. After discovering Lois on Instagram, the photographers visited her home and were immediately captivated by her and her mother, Carey. The duo’s artistic environment was striking, with their creative interests seemingly manifesting physically throughout the house as a vibrant collection of motifs and symbols.
The photographers observed that Lois and Carey express their Jewish identity through a non-traditional, highly personal lens. Lois, who is immersed in the worlds of performance art and the fetish community, creates work that frequently interrogates themes of queerness and sexuality. One early photograph captured this dynamic perfectly: Lois posed in a kitchen wearing a bodysuit and latex mask adorned with the Star of David, while Carey worked on her drawings nearby. This image served as a powerful starting point for a two-year exploration of their lives, focusing on how cultural heritage is both preserved and reinvented across generations.
As the project expanded, the photographers were given full access to the pair’s living space. They found the home to be a living entity, filled with endless discovery, from a childhood bedroom featuring a bright pink fireplace to the lush garden meticulously tended by Carey. The photographers view their work as a study in contrast, blending mundane daily acts with a touch of absurdity to intrigue the viewer. In a staged garden portrait, Carey tends to her plants while Lois stands among them, an image the photographers describe as an exploration of the unique coexistence and emotional truth of the pair’s bond.
This closeness is expressed in ways that transcend words. Though the mother and daughter do not typically say “I love you” or engage in frequent physical touch, their connection is deeply intimate. The photographers captured this through moments like Lois tattooing her mother, treating Carey as a living canvas for her creative output. In other instances, both women are shown in states of total comfort and nudity, demonstrating a relaxed, unguarded relationship that formed the backbone of the Fotómetro series.
The duo’s professional partnership, formed after they moved from Tel Aviv to London in 2022, began with their long-term project Us. Inspired by their own relationship, they set out to document other couples within their homes. Their work with Lois and Carey eventually evolved from a professional endeavor into a genuine friendship, with the photographers occasionally visiting without cameras. Currently, the pair is developing two separate films focusing on the individual lives of Lois and Carey.
Their career has been marked by significant milestones, including exhibiting at the National Portrait Gallery for the 2023 Taylor Wessing Photography prize and presenting the solo show Proof of Existence at London’s Cicek Gallery in 2025. They were awarded the Eve Arnold Photography prize in 2025 for the Lois and Carey series. Their work has been published in the books “Us” (2022) and “Lois & Carey” (2026), and they were featured at Photo London 2026 with Bright Gallery. Looking ahead, they are set to exhibit at the National Portrait Gallery again in November, with their work “Lois and Carey in the Garden” chosen for the Winston Taylor Photo Portrait prize.
For aspiring artists, Bar and Avshalom emphasize that the most vital aspect of practice is the continuous process of personal inquiry. They argue that technical skill and equipment are secondary to developing a singular voice through curiosity and persistent exploration. They encourage artists to constantly challenge themselves by asking why a specific story needs to be communicated, suggesting that the most compelling work functions as a genuine calling rather than a pursuit of trends. The report also notes that our first joint long-term project, Us, was started in Tel Aviv and completed in London after we moved there in 2022. The report also notes that born: Israel, 1995 High point s: Exhibiting at the National Portrait Gallery in London as part of the 2023 Taylor Wessing Photography prize (we will exhibit there again in November – Lois and Carey in the Garden has bee. The report also notes that and Lois & Carey with 89Books in 2026, publishing two photobooks: Us with Snap Collective in 2022. The report also notes that then photographing them in everyday settings, that series involved transforming models into surreal or exaggerated characters based on aspects of themselves. The report also notes that in the form of artwork, motifs and symbols, it was amazing to see how the things they’re interested in seem almost to spill out of their bodies and on to the walls. The report also notes that the way they express their Judaism was something we hadn’t encountered before. The report also notes that so we just kept going, they welcomed us with open arms and it was very easy to work with them. The report also notes that and two years after meeting them, we would still be finding new rooms, new walls, new knick-knacks, they gave us completely free rein.
