Biography
Mariya Kozhanova, born 1986 in Kaliningrad, lives and works in Berlin.
Kozhanova works with themes of human identification and has been fascinated by the powerful need of humans to believe in, and to seek for, something that lies beyond the ordinary.
In her known work, Kozhanova created a portrait of a generation that neglected their own culture and escaped into the borrowed ideals of syntactic cosplay culture. She worked with memories and legends of her hometown Kaliningrad, which still sees dreams of Prussian times.
There is a common theme of belief running throughout all of her works. Kozhanova has exhibited multiple times internationally in the US, Russia, Germany, Japan, and China, among others.
Exhibitions
2026
Architecture of Dreams, the Cosmoscow Foundatio's 13th Auction exhibition, Moscow, Russia (group exhibition)
2025
It is Windy in Paradise, Kotoki Art Space, Serifos, Greece (solo exhibition)
It is Windy in Paradise, the 25th Pingyao International Photography Festival, Pingyao, China (solo exhibition)
2023
Imposed Traces, Green Hill Gallery, Berlin, Germany (group exhibition)
Inner Landscape, Pop-Up Show, Berlin, Germany (solo exhibition)
Brass Plates - Wires - Embossed Prints, Pop-Up during Gallery Weekend, Berlin, Germany (solo exhibition)
2021
Keep Your Eyes Peeled, Aff Galerie, Berlin, Germany (group exhibition)
Herbarium, PENNLAB Gallery, Moscow, Russia (group exhibition)
Myth of Origin, Cosmoscow with PennLab Gallery, Moscow, Russia (art fair)
2020
In Our Nature, Galleri Image, Aarhus, Denmark (solo exhibition)
Distant Thunder, Photometria, Ioannina, Greece (group exhibition)
Inner Blindness, Galerie Alles Mögliche, Berlin, Germany (solo exhibition)
Distant Thunder, Imago Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal (group exhibition)
Distant Thunder, Foton Fest, Kaliningrad, Russia (solo exhibition)
Vonovia, Kunstmuseum Bochum, Bochum, Germany (nomination, group exhibition)
Distant Thunder, Verzasca Foto Festival, Brione, Switzerland (finalist)
2019
To The Moon And Back, PhotoLux, Lucca, Italy (group exhibition)
A Glitch in the System, Photo Vogue Fedtival, Milano, Italy (group exhibition)
Declared Detachment, dogmatiX, OFF Bratislava, Slovakia (solo exhibition)
Distant Thunder, Encontros Da Imagem, Braga, Portugal (group exhibition, honorable mention)
The Art Museum of Folk Art, Meliggoi, Greece (solo exhibition)
2018
Artist as Hero, BaHoe International Photography Week, Hefei, China (group exhibition)
Artist as Hero, The Pingyao International Photography Festival (PIP) Pingyao, China (group exhibition)
Declared Detachment, Photon, Toulouse, France (solo exhibition)
Declared Detachment, Rencontres d'Arles, Arles, France (screening)c
Declared Detachment, Les Boutographies, Montpellier, France (screening)
Basically. Forever., Tokyo Photographic Art Museum, Tokyo, Japan (group exhibition)
Wie im Märchen, NöART, 7 exhibitions, Austria (group exhibition)
Portraits, Hellerau Photography Award, Dresden, Germany (group exhibition)
2017
Declared Detachment, Backlight, Tampere, Finland (group exhibition)
Two Sisters, 4th ViennaPhotobookReview, Austria (3rd price)
Declared Detachment, Budapest Photo, Hungary (group exhibition)
Declared Detachment, Fondo Internzionale per la Fotografia, Barletta, Italy (group exhibition)
2016
Cities And Memory, Museum Brandts13, Odense, Denmark (group exhibition)
Declared Detachment, Galerie Alles Mögliche, Berlin, Germany (solo exhibition)
World Press Photo, Joop Swart Masterclass, Amsterdam, The Netherlands (masterclass)
Declared Detachment, Photovisa, Krasnodar, Russia (solo exhibition)
Taking The Veil, Faith Love Youth, Moscow, Russia (Grand Prix Winner)
Declared Detachment, Museo Histórico, Buenos Aires, Argentina (solo exhibition)
Declared Detachment, Kiyosato Museum of Photographic Arts, YP-2015, Kiyosato, Japan (group exhibition)
Declared Detachment, Riga Photomonth, Riga, Latvia (group exhibition)
PLAT(T)FORM 16, Fotomuseum Winterthur, Winterthur, Switzerland (group exhibition)
2015
Declared Detachment, 1st Photo Kathmandu, Patan, Nepal (group exhibition)
Prussian Bride, Photovisa, Krasnodar, Russia (solo exhibition)
Declared Detachment, Kaunas Photo, Lithuania (group exhibition)
2014
Declared Detachment, Paraty Em Foco, Sao Paulo, Brazil (group exhibition)
Declared Detachment, De La Luz, Buenos Aires, Argentina (group exhibition)
Declared Detachment, UPI, Personal Mythologies, Brooklyn, USA (group exhibition)
Declared Detachment, 4th Singapore Int'l Photography Festival, Singapore (group exhibition)
20th Anniversary KMoPA, Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography, Tokyo, Japan (group exhibition)
Declared Detachment, Kiyosato Museum of Photographic Arts, YP-2013, Kiyosato, Japan (group exhibition)
Declared Detachment, Feature Shoot, USA (Grand Prix Winner)
Declared Detachment, Gallery Zarya, Kaliningrad, Russia (solo exhibition)
2013
Prussian Bride, Friedlander Tor, Kaliningrad, Russia (solo exhibition)
Russian Photography, Lotte Gallery, Seoul, South-Korea (group exhibition)
Prussian Bride, 5th Seoul Photo, Guest Country Russia, Seoul, South-Korea (group exhibition)
2012
Young Russian Photography, Month of Photography, Bratislava, Slovakia (group exhibition)
Contemporary Russian Photography, Fotofest, Houston, USA (group exhibition)
2011
Prussian Bride, Fotomania, Baltic Biennale of Photography, Kaliningrad, Russia (group exhibition, Grand Prix Winner)
2010
I Look At The Window, Axel Obiger Gallery, Berlin, Germany (group exhibition)
Absolute Humidity, Former Factory, Taurage, Lithuania (group exhibition)
Prussian Bride, The School of Fine Arts, Kaliningrad, Russia (group exhibition)
2009
Under The Glass, Selena Gallery, Contemporary Russian Photography, Brooklyn, USA (group exhibition)
Prussian Bride, Baltic Biennale of Photography, Fotomania, Kaliningrad, Russia (group exhibition)
2008
Home Of Children, Kaliningrad National Artistic Gallery, Kaliningrad, Russia (group exhibition)
Entropy 9, German-Russian House, Kaliningrad, Russia (solo exhibition)
2007
Building Bridge, Pavlov Art Studio, Kaliningrad, Russia (solo show)
Photopoetry, Creative Studio “Alternative”, Kaliningrad, Russia (group exhibition)
Baltic Biennale of Photography, Fotomania, Kaliningrad, Russia (group exhibition)
Publications
2024
ORIGINS, Portfolio Distant Thunder, Revue Macaroni, Belgium
2021
CALVERT JOURNAL, online publication, Russia
2020
SEASONS, magazine cover and portfolio, Russia
PHOTO VOGUE, online publication, Italy
VOGUE ITALY, magazine, Italy
2019
DER GREIF, online publication, Germany
URBANAUTICA, online publication, Italy (special mention)
2018
PORTRAITS, catalogue for Hellerau Photography Award, Germany
FOTOMAGAZIN, magazine of photography, Germany
2017
BURN MAGAZINE, Emerging Photographer Fund, online publication, USA (honorable mention)
DOCUMENT EAST, online publication, Hong Kong
2016
Distant ThunderT, online publication of Medium Witness World Press Photo, The Netherlands
BRENNPUNKT, magazine of photography, Germany
CALVERT JOURNAL, online publication, Russia
L'ŒIL DE LA PHOTOGRAPHIE, online publication, France
2015
EMERGE MAG, online publication, Germany
FOTO, magazine of photography, Czech Republic
VISION, magazine of photography, China
SHOTS. magazine of photography #126, USA
VICE, online publication, USA
2014
FEATURE SHOOT, online publication, USA
NEW YORK TIMES, newspaper International New York Times, Page Two, USA
NYT LENS, online publication, USA
LE MONDE, magazine, newspaper weekend edition, France
FOTOROOM, online publication, Italy
2013
RUSSIAN REPORTER, online publication, Russia
LOTTE GALLERY, catalogue Contemporary Russian Photography, South-Korea
2012
SHOTS, magazine of photography #115, USA
4 ELEMENTS, magazine of photography, cover photo, USA
30 UNDER 30, online publication, USA
2010
SHOTS, magazine of photography #107, USA
© 2010 - 2026 Mariya Kozhanova
