CEMRE YESIL

ABOUT

Cemre Yesil is a Turkish photographer and a visual story teller living in Istanbul. Her BA in photography is from Istanbul Bilgi University and she holds an MA in Visual Arts from Sabancı University. In 2017, she dropped out her practice-based PhD in London College of Communication. Her work has been exhibited and published internationally including The Guardian, International Centre of Photography New York, British Journal of Photography, Colors Magazine, La Fabrica, 6 mois, Istanbul Modern Museum, and Salt Beyoğlu. Her 2020 book Hayal & Hakikat was shortlisted in Paris Photo Aperture Photobook Awards for the Photobook of the Year Category. She was also nominated for the Paul Huf Award of Amsterdam Photography Museum FOAM in 2014 and 2021, for ING Unseen Talent Award 2016 and for Lead Awards 2016. British Journal of Photography - Ones to Watch issue (February 2015) introduced her amongst the 25 most promising new talents in global survey of emerging photographers with the work ‘For Birds’ Sake’ (in collaboration with Maria Sturm). The same work was finalist at PHE OjodePez Award for Human Values and Renaissance Photography Prize, Arles Author Book Award and Prix Levallois. Her works are included in the collections of Houston Center for Photography, New York Library, Istanbul Modern Museum, and RISD Library. She currently lectures on photography in Falmouth University MA Photography and Istanbul Bilgi University BA Visual Communication Design. She also works as a writer, curator and publisher. Recently, she published her book titled ‘Double Portrait’ as an independent continuation of her PhD research project. The work is an outcome of 9 years of research and practical work on photographic double portraiture; a hybrid book of photographs and essays on mother’s embrace and absence. Cemre Yeşil Gönenli is also the founder of FiLBooks; a space dedicated to photo books, artist talks and workshops which in 2017 became a publishing house in Karaköy, Istanbul.

Books
Double Portrait, published by FiLBooks, 2021
Hayal & Hakikat, co-published by Gost Books & FiLBooks,2020
Becoming: Cure as Care, Exhibition Catalogue, co-published by Daire Gallery & FiLBooks 2018
Piet(r)a, self-published, 2017
For Birds’ Sake, published by La Fabrica,2016
I am So Beautiful, So Beautiful, by Charlotte Schmitz. Exhibition Catalogue, edited by Cemre Yeşil, published by FiLBooks, 2016
OCÇ Retrospective, published by Orta format, 2014
This Was, self-published, 2013
We have not lived through such a thing / Biz öyle bir şey yaşamadık, self-published, 2012
Cut / Kesik, self-published, 2010

Works included in the following books
How We See: Photobooks made by Women, published by 10x10 Photobooks, 2018
Female Photographers Now, published by Thames & Hudson, edited by Fiona Rogers & Max Hougton, 2018
Flora Photographica, published by Thames & Hudson, edited by William Ewing & Danae Panchaud, 2021

Artist Statement

My photographic series and text-based works focus on personal intimacies. Photographing helps me to see the things that I cannot see with the naked eye. For me, wavering between the indispensability and impossibility of building relationships, the actual act of photographing becomes a breather in the ebb and flow of life. I also see photography as a tool to communicate and interact with my surroundings as well as research the ways human develop relationships between themselves and the world they inhabit.

I am very much interested in exploring the value of the medium of photography through its role in intimate relationships as well. I believe that photographs as objects have a great power to create pathways to rethink about the connections we share as humans with each other and with the natural world that surrounds us. For me, photography is one way to re-connect with being; I aim to create an intimate conversation between me and the people I photograph and finally, facilitate a similar conversation between my photographs and the viewer.

Education

2013 - 2017 (DROP OUT) PhD Photography, London College of Communication, University of Arts London
2010 - 2012 MA Visual Arts, Teaching Assistant, Sabancı University
2006 - 2010 BA Photography and Video, Istanbul Bilgi University
2001 - 2006 Galileo Galilei Italian High School

Selected Exhibitions and Features

2019
Hayal + Hakikat, Video Installation, Tüyap Art Fair, October
Piet[r]à, Still Young Gallery, Milano Photo Fair, March

2018
Extract from Milk Tooth, in the group exhibition titled The Planes are Flying Low Above Our Bodies
curated by Ahmet Polat, Addis Photo Fest, December
Engaged, Active, Aware; Women's perspectives Now, Piet[r]à in Organ Vida Festival, September
Becoming: Cure as Care, as Curator, Daire Gallery, March
Piet[r]à, Fotografia Europea, Reggio Emilia, April
Piet[r]à, Siyah Beyaz Gallery, Ankara, May
Cars of Emirgan, Geniş Açı – Dergiden Proje Ofisine, DEPO, October
For Birds' Sake, Darmstädter Tage der Fotografie, Osthang Darmstadt

2017
The Beauty of Concept, PlatoSanat, Curator: Marcus Graft, January
For Birds' Sake – Format Festival UK, April
Ev/Home, Group Exhibition, Curator: Derya Yücel, Müze Evliyagil, Ankara, September
For Birds' Sake – Renaissance Photography Prize at Getty Images Gallery London, October

2016
For Birds’ Sake, Duo Exhibition + Book Launch, Daire Gallery, January
For Birds’ Sake, Duo Exhibition + Book Launch, La Fabrica, Madrid, May
For Birds’ Sake, Duo Exhibition + Book Launch, Pavlo's Dog Gallery, Berlin, May
Shortlisted for Prix du Livre d'Auteur - Les Rencontres d'Arles 2016 with For Birds' Sake, July
Nominated for Lead Awards 2016, Category Architecture and Stilllive-Photography of the Year with For Birds' Sake, July
Selected for Organ Vida International Photography Festival Zagreb with For Birds' Sake, August
Invited to Bitume Photofest Lecce with For Birds' Sake, August
For Birds' Sake, Visualleader 2016, Deichtorhallen Hamburg, September
Curated + Edited and Published 'I am so beautiful, So Beautiful // Çok Güzelim, Çok Güzel, by Charlotte Schimitz, September
Trans Form Fault, Contemporary Turkish Photography, AFF Gallerie, Berlin, October

2015
Milk Tooth, Photoworks Annual Finalist, December
For Birds’ Sake, Book Lauch, La Fabrica, Paris Photo, November
For Birds’ Sake, Duo Exhibition, Foto Istanbul, October
Extraction, from Milk Tooth Series, Group Exhibition, Sakıp Sabancı Museum, Istanbul, April
For Birds’ Sake, COLORS Magazine Feature, May
When I was a kid the clouds were blue, New Photography, Group Exhibition, Istanbul, May
The Girl and the Dog, Latest Version, Group Exhibition, Daire Gallery, Istanbul, May
British Journal of Photography, 'Ones to Watch', February
For Birds’ Sake, Paraty Em Foco Festival Brasil
Finalist at PHE OjodePez Award for Human Values 2015 with For Birds' Sake
Festival Internacional de Fotografia de Cabo Verde

2014
This was. Solo Exhibition, Daire Gallery, Istanbul, May
For birds sake. fire-cracker.org, as August's featured photographer
An/Other. Landskrona Photo Festival, Sweden, August
Milk Tooth. Obscura Photo Festival, Asian Woman Photography Showcase, Georgetown, Penang / Malesia, August
An/Other. Group Exhibition, UFAT, Bursa, April

2013
This Was. CosArtWalk Festival, Photo-installation,Tava Restaurant, London, October
Second Eye Women Photographers from Turkey. Semiha Es International Photography Symposium, Istanbul, November
When I was a kid, the clouds were blue. Group Exhibition, Atelier de visu gallery / Gallery of les Beaux Arts de Marseille, October
Raw Talent. Hoxton Gallery. London, June
Close Quarters. (An/other) Istanbul Modern Museum, Group Exhibition, Istanbul, May
The Other Art Fair. Art Below Stand, London, May
Gelatista. Art Below - Holborn London Underground, London, May
Photography and the Contemporary Imaginary, Research Show. Group Exhibition LCC. Well Gallery. London, UK, March
Marseille seen by 100 photographers. Group Exhibition, Gallery of La bibliothèque départementale, Marseille, April

2012
Ateliler de Visu. Workshop of Antoine D’agata, Group Slideshow, Marseille
Shared. 5533 IMÇ, Group Exhibition, Istanbul
When I was a kid, the clouds were blue. Group Exhibition, UFAT, Bursa, April
We have not lived through such a thing.. GFİ, Solo Exhibition, İstanbul, June
When I was a kid, the clouds were blue. Solo Exhibition, Nafpaktos, Greece, July

2011
Blowback. Street Exhibition, Photo-performance, New York- Times Square
Blowback. SVA Photography Residency, Group Exhibition, New York

Awards

2020
Paris Photo Aperture Photo Book Awards, Shortlisted in The Photobook of the Year Category

2018
Nominated for Fotografia Europea: Giovane Fotografia Italiana with Piet[r]à

2017
Shortlist Guernsey Photography Festival with Piet[r]à

Shortlisted for Dummy Book Award 2017 La Fábrica with Piet[r]à

Shortlisted for Dummy Book Award 2017 PhotoLondon with Piet[r]à

Shortlist Prix Levallois with For Birds' Sake

2016
Nominated for ING Unseen Talent Award 2016

Shortlisted for Prix du Livre d'Auteur - Les Rencontres d'Arles 2016 with For Birds' Sake Book

Visualleader 2016, Deichtorhallen Hamburg

Nominated for Lead Awards 2016, Category Architecture and Stilllive-Photography of the Year

Nominted for Henri-Nannen-Preis 2016

Nominated for Paraty Em Foco Festival Brasil

Selected for Organ Vida International Photography Festival Zagreb

Invited to Bitume Photofest Lecce

2015

Selected and published as ONES TO WATCH by British Journal of Photography, February

Milk Tooth, Photoworks Annual Finalist, December

OjodePez Human Values Award Finalist, May

2014
‘Confronting Fear’ over-night assignment, MAGNUM AGM Masterclass by Alec Soth, Jim Goldberg and Mark Power @Milk Gallery, New York.

2014
Nominated for FOAM Paul Huf Award 2014

2011
Press’ Category, Gold Winner, Prix de la Photographie Competition PARIS

Portrait’ Category,Official Selection, Prix de la Photographie Competition PARIS

Teaching Experience

June 2018- ..., Falmouth University, MA Photography, Online Tutor

September 2017 - ..., Bahcesehir University, BA Photography & Video, Part-time lecturer, courses: Photo Book

February 2014- ..., Istanbul Bilgi University, Facult of Communication, BA Photography & Video, Part- time lecturer, courses: ‘History of Photography’ + 'Contemporary Photography' + 'Documentary Photography'

June 2015- ..., Portfolio Workshops, FiLBooks, Istanbul

June - July 2013 & June - July 2014, Koc University, Istanbul
Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, BA Media and Visual Arts,  Lecturer - ‘Creative Photography and History of Photography’

June 2014, Yıldız Technical University, YTFOK, Fkare Photo Festival, FOTOBAZ Workshop Leader

September 2010- June 2012, Sabancı University,  Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, VCDVA Department, Teaching Assistant 

February 2009 -.February 2012, İstanbul Bilgi University Youth Studies Unit, Kısa Dalga Youth Center, Photography Workshop Leader

Selected Panels and Talks

KA PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP, Baksana Ne Getirdim, Artist talk and book presentations, October 2019
SALT BEYOĞLU, Talk, Presentation and Workshop Leader for the project:
Picturing the Encyclopdia of Istanbul, June 2019
FOTOGEN, Artist Talk
BORDERLESS ARTBOOK DAYS, Guest Speaker, April 2019
FALMOUTH UNIVERSITY, The Living Image: Falling into Archival Imagery as a Photographic Methodology,
International Photography Symposium, 2019
FALMOUTH UNIVERSITY, Artist Talk, 2018
INTERNATIONAL CENTRE OF PHOTOGRAPHY @NEW YORK, Fire Crackers: Female Photographers Now, Artist Talk, 2017
ISTANBUL PHOTOBOOK FESTIVAL, Guest Speaker, 2017
UNIVERSITY OF ARTS LONDON, RNUAL, 2017
ORGAN VIDA PHOTOGRAPHY FESTIVAL, Artist Talk, 2016
BITUME PHOTOFEST, Artist Talk, 2016
ISTANBUL PHOTOBOOK FESTIVAL, Artist Talk, 2016
FUAM, Mimar Sinan University, Artist Talk, 2015
İTÜFK 6. Fotoğraf Buluşmaları, Istanbul Technical University, 2014
IFFOT Fotoğraf Bulusmaları, Istanbul University, 2014
UFAT 9, Uludağ University, 2014
Semiha Es International Women Photographers Symposium, Istanbul 2013 
UNIVERSITY OF ARTS LONDON, RNUAL, 2013
Documentarist Istanbul, ‘Which Human Rights’, Salt Beyoglu, 2012
Ankara University, Woman Studies Department, "Gender Studies and Violence", guest lecturer, Ankara 2010 

Artist Residencies

February 2012, Marseille, France Atelier de Visu, Photography Residency (workshop directed by the Magnum Photography Agency Photographer Antoine D’agata)
July 2011, New York, USA Photography Artist Residency, School of Visual Arts

interviews

Farkli Bakanlar, TRT, 2013 
Interview published in Orta Format - Issue # 7
Interview published in magazine InFact - Issue 15-July, Nafpaktos, Greece, July 2012