Simona Ciocarlan is a Romanian visual artist and researcher. Her work investigates the interweave of collective memory, cultural heritage, and identity. Interested in materiality and the poetics of photography she explores how the medium can transcend traditional forms of image-making. Fascinated by folk textiles, Simona Ciocarlan’s practice is focused on recurring themes such as belonging and sustainability, as she is devoted to exploring folk traditions and promoting the safeguarding of our ancestor’s knowledge and cultural heritage awareness.
For all enquiries please contact: ciocarlanstudio@gmail.com
Education
2021: 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
2021 Women Photograph International Community – Member
2021 Creative Scotland Visual Artist Awards
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
Made Brave photography competition 2016, United Kingdom – Winner
“Images of Research 2015”, United Kingdom – Finalist
“Picture This 2014”, United Kingdom – Winner
“Shoot the Future”, OPEN Glasgow 2014, United Kingdom – Runner up
“My UK student postcard” 2014, Education UK – British Council – Finalist
Exhibitions
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
Simona Ciocarlan 