Toby de Silva

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VIDEO: Toby de Silva on photographing the city where the lights are always on.

Toby de Silva was born in the UK and first studied photography at Falmouth School of Art followed by an MA in fine art photography at the University of Westminster. Based between London and Tokyo he travels extensively to document what he calls "the bizarre, the macabre,the sublime, the hideous and the humorous."

Toby was initially drawn to Japan to document the world's leading suicide destination situated at the base of Mount Fuji. A 3500 hectare forest founded on volcanic rock it is a pitiless site, scared with miles of police tape designating the places of death. Toby documented the personal effects of those who have committed suicide alongside the bouquets of flowers, shrines and food offerings left in memory by family and friends in his series "The Perfect Place to Die". MaryAnn Camilleri, founder of Magenta, in her review of this year's portfolio reviews at Rhubarb, included Toby's work in her selection of the best in show.

His series "Nocturnal" was winner of the Rhubarb Rhubarb 10th anniversary Hungry Bursary; was exhibited at the Wolverhampton Art Gallery and was also selected for the AOP Open 2009.

Shortlisted for the BJP International Photography Award, 2009 and a finalist in The Guardian/Royal Photographic Society Joan Wakelin Award, 2009, Toby is a photographer with an exciting future ahead of him.