EXHIBITIONS
2026
2025
2024
2023
2022
2021
2020
2018
2026
- The Blossoming Garden, BredaPhoto (NL)
-
If Only You Knew, Kunstmuseum Wolfsburg (DE)
- Building Home, Four Generations, Stedelijk Museum Breda (NL)
2025
- If Only You Knew, Het Nederlands Fotomuseum (NL)
- Freedom, Equality, Sisterhood, Het Amsterdam Museum (NL)
- If Only You Knew, World Expo 2025 Osaka Kansai (JPN)
- If Only You Knew, Museum Hilversum (NL)
-
If Only You Knew, Stopera Amsterdam (NL)
2024
- If Only You Knew, Het Nederlands Fotomuseum (NL)
-
Ctrl.Alt.Img, Foam (NL)
-
Ctrl.Alt.Img, Forum (NL)
-
Ctrl.Alt.Img, Noorderlicht (NL)
2023
-
Commissioned work, Het Scheepvaartmuseum (NL)
-
Ctrl.Alt.Img, Nederlands Filmfestival
(NL)
- A New Beginning, Fotodok (NL)
- If Only You Knew, Verwey Museum (NL)
- A New Beginning, De Gang (NL)
2022
- A New Beginning, No Access group exhibition in the Former NATO Headquarters, Maastricht (NL)
- Family Portraits, Stedelijk Museum Schiedam (NL)
-
A New Beginning, JEF festival, Antwerpen (BE)
-
A New Beginning, JEF festival, Brugge (BE)
2021
-
A New Beginning, Stopera Amsterdam (NL)
-
Schiedams Water Grant in Kunstwerkt (NL)
-
A New Beginning, Photoville New York (USA)
-
A New Beginning, Nederlands Film Festival
(NL)
-
A New Beginning, Buitenhof (NL)
2020
- Zwart in Rembrandts Tijd, Museum het Rembrandthuis (NL)
-
Dit is mijn Verhaal, Bijbels Museum (NL)
2018
- Alzheimer Fluisteren, Foam (NL)
-
Dit is mijn Verhaal, Bijbels Museum (NL)
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
COLLECTIONS
SELECTED TALKS & PUBLICATIONS
- Foam Paul Huff Award | Nomination (2026)
- Zilveren Camera Storytelling | Winner (2025)
- Meesterverteller | Winner (2025)
- Best photobook 2024 by Volkskrant | Winner
- C.A. Soroptimistprijs Encouragement prize | Winner (2024)
- Gouden Kalf Digital Culture | Selection (2023)
- Dutch Directors Guild Award | Winner (2023)
- Meesterverteller | Winner (2022)
- Stipendium Schiedams Water | Winner (2021)
- Canon Zilveren Camera | Winner (2016)
- Dutch Photographic Portrait Prize | Nomination (2016)
COLLECTIONS
- Nederlands Fotomuseum (NL)
- Stedelijk Museum Schiedam (NL)
- Amsterdam Museum (NL)
- Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs (NL)
- Dutch Ministry of Culture and Education (NL)
- Municipal Archive Schiedam (NL)
- National Maritime Museum (NL)
SELECTED TALKS & PUBLICATIONS
- Omroep Zwart, podcast interview. 2026
- Mister Motley, interview Kunst is Lang: Çiğdem Yüksel. 2025
- Metropolis M, Uit de schaduw, in het licht – Een eerbetoon aan de vrouwelijke gastarbeider. 2025
- Hyphen, Photographer unearths stories of the first Turkish women who migrated to the Netherlands. 2025
- One World, interview Fotograaf Çigdem Yüksel: ‘Media ontmenselijken migrantenvrouwen’. 2025
- Pakhuis de Zwijger, Fotokroniek talk. 2024
- De Balie, Plein Publiek podcast. 2024
- De Volkskrant, Çiğdem Yüksel verzamelde foto’s van de eerste generatie vrouwen uit Turkije in Nederland: ‘Dat gat in ons visuele geheugen moet worden gevuld’. 2024
- NRC, Vrouwen uit Turkije in beeld: 'De noodzaak om de levens vast te leggen werd breed gevoeld. Wanneer gaat het nou over hen?'. 2024
- Trouw, Cigdem Yüksel verzamelde foto’s en verhalen van de eerste generatie vrouwen uit Turkije. ‘Je moest eens weten’. 2024
- Het Parool, De eerste generatie vrouwen die uit Turkije hierheen kwam: ‘Mijn generatie groeit al twintig jaar op met haatdragende retoriek’. 2024
- Kunststof, podcast Fotograaf Çiğdem Yüksel presenteert haar tentoonstelling en gelijknamige fotoboek ‘Je moest eens weten’, in het Nederlands Fotomuseum. 2024
- Pakhuis de Zwijger, podcast Çiğdem Yüksel over hoe ze met fotografie de complexiteit van onze werkelijkheid kan laten zien. 2023
- Trouw, Wat de bekende foto van de gesluierde vrouw met boodschappentas doet met moslima’s. 2022
- NRC, Persfoto’s tonen clichébeeld moslima. 2020
- De Volkskrant, In hun tweede jeugd moeten ze alles nog verwerken. 2021
- Algemeen Dagblad, Familieportretten van Turkse Schiedammers in het Stedelijk Museum. 2022
- De Correspondent, Fotograaf Çiğdem Yüksel licht een tipje van de sluier op. 2020
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
2026
- The Blossoming Garden, BredaPhoto (NL)
- If Only You Knew, Kunstmuseum Wolfsburg (DE)
- Building Home, Four Generations, Stedelijk Museum Breda (NL)
2025
- If Only You Knew, Het Nederlands Fotomuseum (NL)
- Freedom, Equality, Sisterhood, Het Amsterdam Museum (NL)
- If Only You Knew, Museum Hilversum (NL)
-
If Only You Knew, World Expo 2025 Osaka Kansai (JPN)
- If Only You Knew, Stopera (NL)
2024
- If Only You Knew, Het Nederlands Fotomuseum (NL)
-
Ctrl.Alt.Img, Foam (NL)
-
Ctrl.Alt.Img, Forum (NL)
- Ctrl.Alt.Img, Noorderlicht (NL)
2023
- Commissioned work, Het Scheepvaartmuseum (NL)
-
Ctrl.Alt.Img, Nederlands Filmfestival (NL)
- A New Beginning, Fotodok, (NL)
- If Only You Knew, Verwey Museum (NL)
- A New Beginning, De Gang (NL)
2022
- A New Beginning, No Access group exhibition in the Former NATO Headquarters, Maastricht (NL)
- Family Portraits, Stedelijk Museum Schiedam (NL)
-
A New Beginning, JEF festival, Antwerpen (BE)
- A New Beginning, JEF festival, Brugge (BE)
2021
-
A New Beginning, Stopera (NL)
- Schiedams Water Grant in Kunstwerkt
(NL)
-
A New Beginning, Photoville, New York (USA)
-
A New Beginning, Nederlands Film Festival
(NL)
- A New Beginning, Buitenhof (NL)
2020
- Zwart in Rembrandts Tijd, Museum het Rembrandthuis (NL)
- Dit is mijn Verhaal, Bijbels Museum (NL)
2018
- Alzheimer Fluisteren, Foam (NL)
-
Dit is mijn Verhaal, Bijbels Museum (NL)
AWARDS AND NOMINATIONS
- Foam Paul Huf Award | Nomination (2026)
- Zilveren Camera Storytelling | Winner (2025)
- Meesterverteller | Winner (2025)
- Best photobook 2024 by Volkskrant | Winner(2024)
- C. A. Soroptimistprijs Encouragement prize |Winner (2024)
- Gouden Kalf Digital Culture | Selection (2023)
- Dutch Directors Guild Award | Winner (2023)
- Meesterverteller | Winner (2022)
- Stipendium Schiedams Water | Winner (2021)
- Canon Zilveren Camera | Winner (2016)
- Dutch Photographic Portrait Prize | Nomination (2016)
COLLECTIONS
- Nederlands Fotomuseum (NL)
- Stedelijk Museum Schiedam (NL)
- Amsterdam Museum (NL)
- Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs (NL)
- Dutch Ministry of Culture and Education (NL)
- Municipal Archive Schiedam (NL)
- National Maritime Museum (NL)
SELECTED TALKS & PUBLICATIONS
- Omroep Zwart, podcast interview. 2026
- Mister Motley, interview Kunst is Lang: Çiğdem Yüksel. 2025
- Metropolis M, Uit de schaduw, in het licht – Een eerbetoon aan de vrouwelijke gastarbeider. 2025
- Hyphen, Photographer unearths stories of the first Turkish women who migrated to the Netherlands. 2025
- One World, interview Fotograaf Çigdem Yüksel: ‘Media ontmenselijken migrantenvrouwen’. 2025
- Pakhuis de Zwijger, Fotokroniek talk. 2024
- De Balie, Plein Publiek talk. 2024
- De Volkskrant, Çiğdem Yüksel verzamelde foto’s van de eerste generatie vrouwen uit Turkije in Nederland: ‘Dat gat in ons visuele geheugen moet worden gevuld’. 2024
- NRC, Vrouwen uit Turkije in beeld: 'De noodzaak om de levens vast te leggen werd breed gevoeld. Wanneer gaat het nou over hen?'. 2024
- Trouw, Cigdem Yüksel verzamelde foto’s en verhalen van de eerste generatie vrouwen uit Turkije. ‘Je moest eens weten’. 2024
- Het Parool, De eerste generatie vrouwen die uit Turkije hierheen kwam: ‘Mijn generatie groeit al twintig jaar op met haatdragende retoriek’. 2024
- Kunststof, podcast Fotograaf Çiğdem Yüksel presenteert haar tentoonstelling en gelijknamige fotoboek ‘Je moest eens weten’, in het Nederlands Fotomuseum. 2024
- Pakhuis de Zwijger, podcast Çiğdem Yüksel over hoe ze met fotografie de complexiteit van onze werkelijkheid kan laten zien. 2022
- Trouw, Wat de bekende foto van de gesluierde vrouw met boodschappentas doet met moslima’s. 2022
- NRC, Persfoto’s tonen clichébeeld moslima. 2020
- De Volkskrant, In hun tweede jeugd moeten ze alles nog verwerken. 2021
- Algemeen Dagblad, Familieportretten van Turkse Schiedammers in het Stedelijk Museum. 2022
- De Correspondent, Fotograaf Çiğdem Yüksel licht een tipje van de sluier op. 2020