Cemre Yeşil Gönenli is a Turkish photographer and artist living in Istanbul. Her BA in photography is from Istanbul Bilgi University and she holds an MA in Visual Arts from Sabancı University. In 2017, she dropped out her practice-based PhD in London College of Communication. Her work has been exhibited and published internationally including The Guardian, International Centre of Photography New York, British Journal of Photography, Colors Magazine, La Fabrica, 6 mois, Istanbul Modern Museum, and Salt Beyoğlu. Her 2020 book Hayal & Hakikat was the winner of Best Photobook of the Year in PhotoEspana 2021 and the same book was shortlisted in Paris Photo Aperture Photobook Awards for the Photobook of the Year Category and Historical Book Award in Recontres Arles 2021. She was also nominated for the Paul Huf Award of Amsterdam Photography Museum FOAM in 2014 and 2021, for ING Unseen Talent Award 2016 and for Lead Awards 2016. British Journal of Photography - Ones to Watch issue (February 2015) introduced her amongst the 25 most promising new talents in global survey of emerging photographers with the work ‘For Birds’ Sake’ (in collaboration with Maria Sturm). The same work was finalist at PHE OjodePez Award for Human Values and Renaissance Photography Prize, Arles Author Book Award and Prix Levallois. Her works are included in the collections of Houston Center for Photography, New York Library, Istanbul Modern Museum, and RISD Library. She lectured on photography at Falmouth University MA Photography and Istanbul Bilgi University BA Visual Communication Design. She also works as a writer, curator and publisher. In 2021, she published her book titled ‘Double Portrait’ in paralel with her exhibition in Milli Reasürans Art Gallery which was shortlisted in PhotoEspana 2021 Best Photography Book of the Year Award. The work is an outcome of 9 years of research and practical work on photographic double portraiture; a hybrid book of photographs and essays on mother’s embrace and absence. Cemre Yeşil Gönenli is also the founder of FiLBooks; a space dedicated to photo books, artist talks and workshops which in 2017 became a publishing house in Karaköy, Istanbul.
