EXHIBITIONS

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, Museumplein Amsterdam


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, Mercatorplein, Amsterdam 


A New Beginning, Buitenhof, Den Haag


2020
Zwart in Rembrandts Tijd, Museum het Rembrandthuis


Alzheimer Fluisteren, Zorginnovatie Forum, Zwolle

Alzheimer Fluisteren, Parc Theater, Hoorn

Dit is mijn Verhaal, Bijbels Museum, Amsterdam 

Dit is mijn Verhaal, Academiehuis Zwolle 


Alzheimer Fluisteren, OBA Buitenveldert, Amsterdam 


Alzheimer Fluisteren, De Brug, Amsterdam


2019
Alzheimer Fluisteren, OBA De Banne, Amsterdam 


Alzheimer Fluisteren, Bibliotheek de Veluwe, Putten

Alzheimer Fluisteren, OBA Mercatorplein, Amsterdam


Alzheimer Fluisteren, Dementia congres, Ede

Alzheimer Fluisteren, OBA Centraal, Amsterdam


Alzheimer Fluisteren, Zorggroep Groningen

Alzheimer Fluisteren, ZGG Innersdijk, Groningen 


Alzheimer Fluisteren, Nurcing Experience, Ede


2018
Alzheimer Fluisteren, Foam, Amsterdam


Dit is mijn Verhaal, Bijbels Museum, Amsterdam 


Syrian Child Labour, Journalism Festival, Utrecht


Alzheimer Fluisteren, Humanitas, Deventer

BIO

Çiğdem Yüksel is a Turkish-Dutch 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.

As a visual artist, Yüksel aims to question the historical archives and the collective visual memory in the Netherlands. 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. This project is on display until may 2025 at the Nederlands Fotomuseum in Rotterdam

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

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