Simona Ciocarlan is a Romanian visual artist and researcher. Her work examines the relationship between collective memory, cultural heritage, and identity.
Her research-led practice is situated at the intersection of photographic materiality and poetic expression, investigating how image and textile-based media can articulate notions of belonging, resilience, and ecological consciousness. Central to her inquiry is a concern with the capacity of these media to preserve narratives of resistance and survival, particularly within contexts shaped by historical and political repression.
She holds an MA in Documentary Photography from the University of South Wales. A member of the Women Photograph international community, Ciocarlan’s work has been exhibited internationally, including Shared Grounds at London Gallery West (2024), Photo Fringe as part of Collective22 (2022), New Eyes at ImageNation Paris, and Photo Vogue Festival’s Reframing History in Milan.
For all enquiries please contact: ciocarlanstudio@gmail.com
Education
2021-2024: MA Documentary Photography, University of South Wales
2018: First Class Honours Degree in Photography – University of the West of Scotland & City of Glasgow College
Awards and Recognitions
2024 \ 2022 Reginald Salisbury Award
2021 Women Photograph International Community – Member
2021 Creative Scotland Visual Arts & Crafts Maker Awards, Glasgow
2020 Portrait of Britain – Winner & publication by Hoxton Mini Press
2020 Kolga Tbilisi International Photography Festival Award – Nominee
2019 FORMAT Festival Shutter Hub Portfolio Award 2019 – Winner
2018 Jill Todd Photographic Award – Highly Commended Awardee
2018 Fòcas Document India 2017- 2018,“The Best Single Images”, Fòcas Scotland – Winner
2016 Made Brave photography competition 2016, United Kingdom – Winner
2015 “Images of Research 2015”, United Kingdom – Finalist
2014 “Picture This 2014”, United Kingdom – Winner
2014 “Shoot the Future”, OPEN Glasgow 2014, United Kingdom – Runner up
2014 “My UK student postcard” 2014, Education UK – British Council – Finalist
Exhibitions
AlterImage, Church of St Michael and All Angels, Shoreditch, September 2024
Shared Grounds, Collective 22 – London Gallery West, July 2024
There is Something in the Way – Summerhall Edinburgh Fringe Festival, 27 July-28 September 2023
Going East – Photon Gallery Wien, Austria, 9 September – 22 October 2022
Going East – Photon Gallery Center for Contemporary Photography in Ljubljana, Slovenia – July 2022
New Eyes, ImageNation Paris, Galerie Joseph Le Palais, Paris – May 2022
22 East Meets West at FORMAT 2022, Derby – March 2022
Photo Vogue Festival, “Reframing History”, VID Foundation for Photography, 18-21 November 2021, Milan
Ways of Seeing, Collective exhibition, Glasgow Women’s Library – 29 October – 24 December 2020
Portrait of Britain, United Kingdom – September – November 2020
Time to Think, Festival Pil’Ours, Saint Gilles Croix de Vie, Collective exhibition, France — July 2020 – November 2020
NOW, FOR THE FUTURE, Look Photo Biennial at Open Eye Gallery, Collective exhibition Liverpool, UK – November 2019
LifeFramer Photography Prize, Officine Fotografiche Milano, Collective exhibition, Italy – October 2019
Street Level Open, Glasgow September 2019, Collective exhibition, UK – September 2019
LifeFramer Photography Prize, Bermondsey Project Space London, Collective exhibition, UK – September 2019
STREET / FORM at Pow! Wow! Rotterdam, Collective exhibition, Netherlands – September 2019
New Photographers Guild: Still Searching… , Trongate 103, Collective exhibition, Glasgow, UK – July 2019
Time to Think, Festival Pil’Ours, Saint Gilles Croix de Vie, Collective exhibition, France – July 2019
Jill Todd Photographic Award, Street Level Photoworks, Collective exhibition, Glasgow, UK – December 2018
Futureproof, Street Level Photoworks, Collective exhibition, Irvine, UK – July 2018
Free Range, The Old Truman Brewery | Shoreditch London, Collective exhibition, UK – June 2018
Structured, Quartermile Edinburgh, Collective exhibition, UK – December 2017
Purvai Festival, An Laintar, “The Best Single Images”, Collective exhibition, Fòcas Scotland, UK – August 2017
Free Range, The Old Truman Brewery | Shoreditch London, Collective exhibition, UK – June 2017
Type 22, New Glasgow Society, Glasgow, Collective exhibition, UK – October 2016
Transitions, Theatre Royal, Collective exhibition, Glasgow, UK – May 2016
Picturing the Future, Technology & Innovation Centre Glasgow, Collective exhibition, UK – July 2015
Residency
2022 PhMuseum Masterclass, USW MA Documentary Photography, Bologna, Italy
2021 Despatch Artist Residency, Work Show Grow, Lyndhurst, UK
Publications
2023 Studies in Photography – New Contemporaries
Simona Ciocarlan 