EXHIBITIONS
2025
2024
2023
2022
2021
2020
2018
2025
- If Only You Knew, Stopera, Amsterdam
-
If Only You Knew, World Expo 2025 Osaka Kansai, Japan
- If Only You Knew, Het Nederlands Fotomuseum, Rotterdam
- If Only You Knew, Museum Hilversum, Hilversum
-
Women of Amsterdam - an ode, Het Amsterdam Museum, Amsterdam
2024
- If Only You Knew, Het Nederlands Fotomuseum, Rotterdam
-
Ctrl.Alt.Img, Foam, Amsterdam
-
Ctrl.Alt.Img, Forum, Groningen
-
Ctrl.Alt.Img, Noorderlicht, Groningen
2023
-
Commissioned work, Het Scheepvaartmuseum, Amsterdam
-
Ctrl.Alt.Img, Nederlands Filmfestival, Utrecht
- A New Beginning, Fotodok, Utrecht
- Vrouwelijke Turkse pioniers, Verwey Museum, Haarlem
- A New Beginning, De Gang, Haarlem
2022
- A New Beginning, Viewmaster Projects, Maastricht
- Family Portraits, Stedelijk Museum Schiedam
-
A New Beginning, JEF festival, Antwerpen
-
A New Beginning, JEF festival, Brugge
2021
- A New Beginning, Floor HvA, Amsterdam
-
A New Beginning, Stopera, Amsterdam
-
Schiedams Water Grant in Kunstwerkt, Schiedam
-
A New Beginning, Photoville, New York
-
A New Beginning, Nederlands Film Festival, Utrecht
-
A New Beginning, Buitenhof, Den Haag
2020
- Zwart in Rembrandts Tijd, Museum het Rembrandthuis
-
Dit is mijn Verhaal, Bijbels Museum, Amsterdam
2018
- Alzheimer Fluisteren, Foam, Amsterdam
-
Dit is mijn Verhaal, Bijbels Museum, Amsterdam
- Syrian Child Labour, Journalism Festival, Utrecht
BIO
Çiğdem Yüksel is a visual artist and photographer. She initiated her photography career at the Dutch newspaper de Volkskrant. In 2017, she was honored with the prestigious Zilveren Camera award for her portrait series featuring Syrian child refugees working in textile and shoe factories in Turkey. The jury praised how her photographic series brings Western consumers face to face with the consequences of our political and economic policies.
In recent years, her attention has turned to exploring perception and the influence of photography and photographers. This shift led her to initiate a study on our collective visual memory and the portrayal of Muslim women in the Netherlands. In 2020, her research report gained significant attention for its analysis of the representation of Muslim women within the image database of the Dutch press agency ANP.
Yüksels artistic practice is rooted in questioning and influencing our visual memory, our visual history, and the power structures that underpin them. She questions who possesses the authority to determine which photos and narratives are preserved in our archive and which are omitted, and why. In her pursuit of challenging this, she began capturing portraits of the first generation of women from Turkey in the Netherlands, with the goal of constructing a more complete archive.
At the heart of Yüksels work lies a close bond with the people she portrays. Personal stories are often a significant source of inspiration for her and set the tone of the photographic portraits she creates. Her creative process typically leads to diverse results, ranging from photo and video works to interactive installations, textile art, and publications.
Çiğdem Yüksel is a visual artist and photographer. She initiated her photography career at the Dutch newspaper de Volkskrant. In 2017, she was honored with the prestigious Zilveren Camera award for her portrait series featuring Syrian child refugees working in textile and shoe factories in Turkey. The jury praised how her photographic series brings Western consumers face to face with the consequences of our political and economic policies.
In recent years, her attention has turned to exploring perception and the influence of photography and photographers. This shift led her to initiate a study on our collective visual memory and the portrayal of Muslim women in the Netherlands. In 2020, her research report gained significant attention for its analysis of the representation of Muslim women within the image database of the Dutch press agency ANP.
Yüksels artistic practice is rooted in questioning and influencing our visual memory, our visual history, and the power structures that underpin them. She questions who possesses the authority to determine which photos and narratives are preserved in our archive and which are omitted, and why. In her pursuit of challenging this, she began capturing portraits of the first generation of women from Turkey in the Netherlands, with the goal of constructing a more complete archive.
At the heart of Yüksels work lies a close bond with the people she portrays. Personal stories are often a significant source of inspiration for her and set the tone of the photographic portraits she creates. Her creative process typically leads to diverse results, ranging from photo and video works to interactive installations, textile art, and publications.
AWARDS AND NOMINATIONS
2025
2024
2023
2022
2021
2016
2025
- Zilveren Camera Storytelling | Winner
-
Meesterverteller | Winner
2024
- Best photobook 2024 by Volkskrant | Winner
- C.A. Soroptimistprijs | Encouragement prize - Winner
2023
- Gouden Kalf Digital Culture | Selection
- Dutch Directors Guild Award | Winner
2022
- Meesterverteller | Winner
2021
- Stipendium Schiedams Water | Winner
2016
- Canon Zilveren Camera | Winner
- Dutch Photographic Portrait Prize | Nomination
BIO
Çiğdem Yüksel is a visual artist and photographer. She initiated her photography career at the Dutch newspaper de Volkskrant. In 2017, she was honored with the prestigious Zilveren Camera award for her portrait series featuring Syrian child refugees working in textile and shoe factories in Turkey. The jury praised how her photographic series brings Western consumers face to face with the consequences of our political and economic policies.
In recent years, her attention has turned to exploring perception and the influence of photography and photographers. This shift led her to initiate a study on our collective visual memory and the portrayal of Muslim women in the Netherlands. In 2020, her research report gained significant attention for its analysis of the representation of Muslim women within the image database of the Dutch press agency ANP.
Yüksels artistic practice is rooted in questioning and influencing our visual memory, our visual history, and the power structures that underpin them. She questions who possesses the authority to determine which photos and narratives are preserved in our archive and which are omitted, and why. In her pursuit of challenging this, she began capturing portraits of the first generation of women from Turkey in the Netherlands, with the goal of constructing a more complete archive.
At the heart of Yüksels work lies a close bond with the people she portrays. Personal stories are often a significant source of inspiration for her and set the tone of the photographic portraits she creates. Her creative process typically leads to diverse results, ranging from photo and video works to interactive installations, textile art, and publications.
EXHIBITIONS
2025
- If Only You Knew, Stopera, Amsterdam
-
If Only You Knew, World Expo 2025 Osaka Kansai, Japan
- If Only You Knew, Het Nederlands Fotomuseum, Rotterdam
- If Only You Knew, Museum Hilversum, Hilversum
- Women of Amsterdam - an ode, Het Amsterdam Museum, Amsterdam
2024
- If Only You Knew, Het Nederlands Fotomuseum, Rotterdam
-
Ctrl.Alt.Img, Foam, Amsterdam
-
Ctrl.Alt.Img, Forum, Groningen
- Ctrl.Alt.Img, Noorderlicht, Groningen
2023
- Commissioned work, Het Scheepvaartmuseum, Amsterdam
-
Ctrl.Alt.Img, Nederlands Filmfestival, Utrecht
- A New Beginning, Fotodok, Utrecht
- Vrouwelijke Turkse pioniers, Verwey Museum, Haarlem
- A New Beginning, De Gang, Haarlem
2022
- A New Beginning, Viewmaster Projects, Maastricht
- Family Portraits, Stedelijk Museum Schiedam
-
A New Beginning, JEF festival, Antwerpen
- A New Beginning, JEF festival, Brugge
2021
- A New Beginning, Floor HvA, Amsterdam
-
A New Beginning, Stopera, Amsterdam
- Schiedams Water Grant in Kunstwerkt, Schiedam
-
A New Beginning, Photoville, New York
-
A New Beginning, Nederlands Film Festival, Utrecht
- A New Beginning, Buitenhof, Den Haag
2020
- Zwart in Rembrandts Tijd, Museum het Rembrandthuis
- Dit is mijn Verhaal, Bijbels Museum, Amsterdam
2018
- Alzheimer Fluisteren, Foam, Amsterdam
-
Dit is mijn Verhaal, Bijbels Museum, Amsterdam
- Syrian Child Labour, Journalism Festival, Utrecht
AWARDS AND NOMINATIONS
2025
- Zilveren Camera Storytelling | Winner
- Meesterverteller | Winner
2024
- Best photobook 2024 by Volkskrant | Winner
- C. A. Soroptimistprijs | Encouragement prize - Winner
2023
- Gouden Kalf Digital Culture | Selection
- Dutch Directors Guild Award | Winner
2022
- Meesterverteller | Winner
2021
- Stipendium Schiedams Water | Winner
2016
- Canon Zilveren Camera | Winner
- Dutch Photographic Portrait Prize | Nomination