Photographers

Ruth Kaplan (born 1955 in Montreal) is a Canadian photographer whose documentary-based practice explores human behavior, ritual, vulnerability, and communal identity. Working across photography and video, Kaplan is best known for her long-term project *Bathers* (1991–2002), a global examination of public bathing cultures in places such as California, the Czech Republic, Poland, and Japan. Through intimate yet respectful observation, she documents how people navigate privacy, exposure, and relaxation within shared spaces. The project culminated in her acclaimed 2017 monograph, which reflects on cultural attitudes toward the body and communal leisure.

Kaplan frequently works in extended series that highlight emotional and psychological states within specific social environments. Her series *Some Kind of Divine* focuses on congregants in Toronto and Halifax during moments of religious ecstasy, healing, and contemplation, capturing spirituality as a deeply personal and physical experience. Her recent multi‑year project *Migrations* examines refugees and asylum seekers along the Canada–United States border, including sub‑series such as *The Crossing*, *Status Pending*, and *After Roxham Road*. These works portray individuals in transitional or uncertain states, emphasizing themes of displacement, resilience, and human dignity.

Kaplan holds a BA in Applied Arts (1981) and an MFA in Documentary Media (2010), both from Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University), after earlier studies at Concordia University. Over a career spanning more than 30 years, she has exhibited internationally and contributed to major editorial publications. Her work is represented by Stephen Bulger Gallery and is held in numerous public collections, including the Ryerson Image Centre, the National Gallery of Canada, the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, the Art Gallery of Hamilton, Library and Archives Canada, the Art Gallery of Ontario, and international institutions such as the Bibliothèque Nationale de France and the Canada Council Art Bank.

Kaplan has received grants from the Canada Council for the Arts, the Ontario Arts Council, and the Toronto Arts Council, and she has been honored with National Magazine Awards for her editorial photography. She currently teaches photography at Toronto Metropolitan University, OCAD University, and the University of Toronto Scarborough, influencing a new generation of documentary image-makers.