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
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
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
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
2024If Only You Knew, Het Nederlands Fotomuseum, Rotterdam
Ctrl.Alt.Img, Foam, Amsterdam
Ctrl.Alt.Img, Forum, Groningen
Ctrl.Alt.Img, Noorderlicht, Groningen
2023Commissioned 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
2022A New Beginning, Viewmaster Projects, Maastricht
Family Portraits, Stedelijk Museum Schiedam
A New Beginning, JEF festival, Antwerpen
A New Beginning, JEF festival, Brugge
2021A New Beginning, Floor HvA, Amsterdam
A New Beginning, Stopera, Amsterdam
Schiedams Water Grant, Kunstwerkt, Schiedam
A New Beginning, Photoville, New York
A New Beginning, Nederlands Film Festival, Utrecht
A New Beginning, Buitenhof, Den Haag
2020Zwart 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
Canon Zilveren Camera
Winner
Dutch Photographic Portrait Prize
Nomination