Diana Matar
128C Sinclair Road, London. W14 0NL United Kingdom. /d.m.matar@gmail.com
NY +1(917)702-8858 / London +44 7971-764158
www.dianamatar.com
Short Bio
Diana Mataris a photographic artist whose work investigates history, memory and statesponsored violence. Grounded in heavy research she produces installations andbooks that query what role aesthetics might play in the depiction of power.Matar’s monograph Evidence whichlooked at the effects of state sponsored violence on her husband’s family andthe Libyan nation was published to critical acclaim. Installations of Evidencewere exhibited in more than 15 international institutions and galleries. In2016 she received a Ford Foundation Grant for artists making work on memory andviolence to spend the following two years photographing at over 350 sites oflethal police violence in America. Entitled MyAmerica it will be published as a monograph in 2019 and exhibited as a soloshow at Musee de la Photographie Charleroi and in America Geography at SFMOMAboth in 2020. Matar’s photographic andtext based installations have been exhibited at Tate Modern, London; Institutedu Monde Arabe, Paris; the Museum of Contemporary Photography, Chicago; MuseumFolkswang Essen, and many other institutions. Her works are included in thepermanent collections at the Victoria and Albert Museum,London; The Museum of Fine Arts Houston; The Deutsche Bank Permanent Collection;and many others. She is the recipient of a Ford Foundation Grant; the Deutsche Bank Award for Fine Art; theInternational Fund for Documentary Photography; and the Arts Council of EnglandIndividual Artist’s Grant twice.
Curriculum Vitae
Selected Exhibitions
SFMOMA, American Geography, curatedby Sandra Phillips. My America April- 2020(confirmed).
Musee de Photographie Charleroi Belgium. My America. January –April 2020 solo exhibition (confirmed).
Museum of Contemporary Photography Chicago. Traversing the Past: AdamGolfer, Diana Matar Hrvoie Slovenc. 18 January – 1 April 2018. 87 works from Evidence, Disappearance, Witness and Still Far Away.
London Art Fair. Purdy Hicks Gallery. 17 – 21 January 2017 Paris Photo. Purdy Hicks Gallery.13-16 November 2016. New Work Seoul Lunar Photo 16.Seoul, Korea. 9 -16 September, 2016. 56works from Evidence, Disappearance, Witness and Still Far Away.
Rick Wester Fine Art, New York, NY. 2 June – 29 July 2016. Lost in Space: Contemporary Photographers and the New Landscape.
Purdy Hicks Gallery London, UK. 12 May – 9 June 2016. Diana Matar Disappearance, Evidence,Witness, and Still Far Away. Solo exhibition.
Photo London 2016. Purdy Hicks Gallery. 13 -16 May 2016. Workfrom Disappearance.
Fotofest 2016 Biennial, Houston Texas, USA. 12 March – 24 April 2016. 56works from Evidence Disappearance and Witness and Still Far Away .
Center for Photography at Woodstock, New York USA. 20 February - 10 April 2016. Page by Page - The Photobook.
Institut du Monde Arabe et Maison Européenne de la Photographie, Paris. 9 November2015 – 17 January 2016. Evidence in Biennal of Arab Photography in theXXIè.
Paris Photo. Purdy Hicks Gallery. November 12 – 15, 2015 – work from Martyrs and Dictators.
Rick Wester Fine Art, New York, NY. 12 September – 24 October 2015. DianaMatar Evidence. Soloexhibition.
Goeun Museum of Photography, Busan Korea. 29 August - 25 November 2015. 56works from Evidence and Disappearance in Two Moons.
Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden, Germany. 31 July - 15 October 2015. Evidencein Conflict Time Photography.
Banaki Museum, Athens Greece. 3 June - 31 July 2015. Evidence in ThePhotobook Exhibition.
Museum Folkswang Essen, Germany. 10 April – 5 July 2015. Evidencein Conflict Time Photography.
Tate Modern, London UK. 26 November2014 – 15 March 2015. Evidence inConflict, Time, Photography.
Rayko Photo Center, San Francisco, USA. 5 February - 3 March 2015. Evidencein The Visual Voice: New PhotoBook Narratives.
Paris Photo, Purdy Hicks Gallery. November 2014. Worksfrom Evidence.
Saatchi Gallery, London, UK. July2010. Disappearancein Borders curated by Alistair Hicks.
Upper Waiting Hall, Houses of Parliament, London, UK. 2008. Leaveto Remain.(solo National Touring Exhibition).
Teatr Laznia Nowa. Photo Month in Krakow, Krakow Poland, 2008. ThisDark Land in Failure|Success.
Gandhi Museum, London, UK. 2008. Leaveto Remain. (solo National Touring Exhibition).
Lighthouse Gallery, Wolverhampton, UK. 2007. Leave to Remain. (soloNational Touring Exhibition).
National Museum of Singapore, 2007. NazarPhotographs from the Arab World.
Gallery of Photography, Temple Bar, Dublin Ireland. 2007. NazarPhotographs from the Arab World.
World Affairs Council, San Francisco USA. 2006. From Where I Stand,Photographs of Arab Women.
Q Arts Gallery, Derby, UK. 2006. Nazar Photographs from the Arab World.
Space Four, Peterborough Museum, Peterborough UK. 2006. Leaveto Remain (solo National Touring Exhibition).
Lincoln Museum, Usher Gallery, Lincoln, UK. 2006. Leaveto Remain (solo National Touring Exhibition).
Plymouth City Museum and Art Gallery, Plymouth, UK. 2006. Leaveto Remain. (solo National Touring Exhibition).
BCA Gallery, Bedford, UK. 2006. Leaveto Remain. (solo National Touring Exhibition).
Langhans Galerie Prag, Czech Republic. 2005 NazarPhotographs from the Arab World.
Noorderlicht Photofestival, Leeuwarden, Netherlands. 2004 NazarPhotographs from the Arab World.
Fifty Crows Gallery, San Francisco, Ca. USA. 2004 FromWhere I Stand. Photographs of Veiled Women.
Fotographie Forum International, Frankfurt, Germany.2003. Barzakh (soloexhibition).
Permanent Collections
Victoria and Albert Museum. London, UK.
The Museum of Fine Arts Houston. TX, USA.
George Eastman Museum New York, USA.
The Museum of Contemporary Photography Chicago, IL, USA.
The Deutsche Bank Permanent Collection. London, UK.
The International Fund for Documentary Photography. San Francisco, CA, USA.
The Bedford Museum. Bedford, UK.
Santa Barbara Museum. Santa Barbara, CA, USA.
Harry Ransom Center. Austin, TX, USA.
The Charles Dee Mitchel Collection of Photography and Conflict in the 21stCentury. Dallas, TX, USA.
Permanent Collection at Michigan State University. East Lansing, Michigan,USA.
Cincinnati Museum of Art. Cincinnati, Ohio, USA.
Monographs
My America: SchiltPublishing Amsterdam November 2019. Monograph by Diana Matar.
Evidence, Schilt Publishing, Amsterdam November 2014. Monograph by Diana Matar.
Selected Catalogues and Publications
Granta 146, GrantaPublications, February 2019. Portfolio of New Work from American Orchard.
CallingMemory into Place, Rutgers University Press 2019:Evidence, Disappearance.
LooseAssociations, The Photographer’s Gallery Press, 2018: In the Heat of theSummer.
Retroactivityin Contemporary Art, Bloomsbury Publishing. 2018Evidence, Disappearance.
1001Photographs you must see before you die, Quintessence Editions,Quarto Press. September 2017,Editor Paul Lowe.
Firecrackers: Contemporary Female Photographers. Thames andHudson, London. Autumn 2017. Essay by Max Houghton.
Selected Catalogues and Publications (continued)
City of Lions. Joseph Wittlin, Philippe Sands, PhotographsDiana Matar. November2016. Pushkin Press,London.
FT Weekend Magazine. Portfolio of Still Far Away. October 22/23 2016.
EssayWhat your Eyes Saw by Hisham Matar.
1ere BIENNALE DES PHOTOGRAPHES DU MONDE ARABE HISTOIRE(S) CONTEMPORAINE(S)November 2015 Edited by Claude Mollard et Jean-Luc Monterosso, directeurde la Maison Européenne de la Photographie.
Photoworks Annual 22 Women, November 2015. Featureon Evidence, 11 works. Essay by Shoair Mavlian, curator at Tate Modern.
Two Moons The GoEun Museum of Photography, September 2015. Editedby Sujong Song 14 works fromEvidence.
Photo Dot Magazine Vol 20, July 2014. Editedby Chul Lee. Cover and 12 page portfolio.
Conflict Time Photography, Tate Publishing, November 2014. Edited by Simon BakerCurator of Photography and International Art, Tate Modern. Essayby Shoair Mavlian.
New Yorker, April 2013. TheReturn.
Ojo De Pez Issue 35, Autobiographias. December 2013. FeatureDiana Matar
SourcePhotographic Review Issue 56. Autumn 2008. FeatureDiana Matar
Nazar, Photographs from the Arab World.September 2005. AperturePublishing Essays by Negar Azimi and Isolde Brielmaier.
Nazar, Photographsfrom the Arab World. Spring 2004. Editor WimWellis, Aurora Borealis Publishing .
Grants and Awards
2017 Nominated for the Tim Hetherington Award, for Evidence and My America
2016 Recipient Ford Foundation Grant for Artists Working on Violence and Memory
2016 Long Listed for the Deutsche Borse Photography Prize
2016 Nominated for Prix Pictet Evidence
2015 Nominated for Prix Pictet Evidence
Grants and Awards (continued)
2014 Arts Council England. Individual Artist Grant. Evidence
2010 Arts Council England. Individual Artist Grant. Periphery
2010 Deutsche Bank commission for Disappearance.
2010 Shortlisted for the Victoria and Albert Museum Residency Fellowshipin Photography
2010 Nominated for Prix Pictet
2008 The Deutsche Bank Award for Fine Art
2007 Royal College of Art Travel Grant for Fine Art
2006 – 2008 Full Bursary, Royal College of Art MA Photography
2005 East England Grants for the Arts
2005 Comic Relief UK Arts Grants
2005 NHS Trust Grants for the Arts 2004 Commissions East
2003 Fifty Crows 1st place International Fund for Documentary Photography- North America
Press, Reviews, Interviews, Radio and TV.
Chicago Tribune, 21 January 2018. Lori Waxman. Traversing the Past an Uneven but PowerfulLook at History.
Adorama TV, 4 September 2017. Stay Focused with Doug McKinlay. Interview with Diana Matar.
Harper’s Bazaar Art, Winter 2016. Simon Bowcock. The Language of Trees Diana Matar’sPhotographs.
London Photo Diary, 5 June 2016. Celine Bodin. Review: Diana Matar @ Purdy Hicks Gallery
Photomonitor, 1 June 2016. Simon Bowcock.Photo London 2016 Reviewed
The Economist 1843 Magazine, 26 May 2016. Felix Bazalgette. ExposingLibya's Dark Past. Diana Matar at Purdy Hicks Gallery.
Financial Times, 13 May 2016. Horatia Herrod. Snapshot,Diana Matar at Purdy Hicks, London.
Lensculture, May 2016. Evidence by Diana Matar
Black and White Magazine, 8 April2016. George Slade. Evidence by Diana Matar
L'Oeil, 4 April 2016. W. M. Hunt. TheUnseen Eye Looks at FotoFest 2016.
Press, Reviews, Interviews, Radio and TV. (continued)
The New Arab, 15 January 2016. The Arab World Mirrored in Photography.
L'HUMANITÉ, 5 January 2016. MagaliJauffret. Les photographes du monde arabe accueillis à Paris
Culture Box, 5 December 2015. Monde arabe et photographie à Paris :quelques images de la première biennale.
L’Eclectique, 12 November 2015.Sarah Anouar. La première Biennale des photographes du monde arabecontemporain « démonte » les clichés.
RFI, 11 November 2015. SiegfriedForster. Le monde arabe pris en photo par une Biennale pionnière
Les Tempes, 27 November 2015.Caroline Stevan. Une biennale de photographie pour le monde arabe
Wall Street Journal, 6 November 2015. Tobias Grey. Middle East Photography gets a Biennale.
Literate Lens, 12 October, 2015. Sarah Coleman. Evidence by Diana Matarat Rick Wester Fine Art.
CollectorDaily, 6 October 2015. Loring Knoblach. Diana Matar Evidence at Rick WesterFine Art.
L'Oeil, 15 September 2015. New York: Evidence by Diana Matar.
Vice Magazine Volume 13, No 5. June 2015, Literary: Evidence, DianaMatar
PhotoEye, 16 June 2015. Jon Evans. EvidenceDiana Matar Book of the Week, Pick of the week by Jon Evans, Museum of FineArts Houston.
Leica Foto International, May 2015, Angenda, Books: Evidence, DianaMatar.
Freize Magazine, 20 April 2015.Sara Knelman Conflict Time Photography.
WDR 3. April 2015, Das Danach des Krieges. With Radio Show.
ArtsLife, March 2015. Laura Vezzo. Conflict Time Photography TateModern riflette sulla guerra e i suoi effetti.
Emaho Magazine, March 2015. Manik Katyal. Diana Matar: Photography six years of Political Disappearance.
fotoMAGAZIN, March 2015. Manfred Zolner. Evidence, Diana Matar.
Creative Review, March 2015, IPAd edition. Hi-Res Feature: Evidence,Photographer Diana Matar explores political disappearance.
ST Art Magazine, January 2015. Hettie O'Brian Landscape and Time.
L'Oeil 16, 16 January 2015, Jonas Cuenin. Londres : Conflict, Time,Photography : les images d’après la guerre.
Resource Magazine, 5 January 2015. Mark Go Best Photography Books of 2015.
Dirty Old Books, 28 December 2014. Cheryl Newman Best Photobooks of2014.
New Yorker, 23 December 2014. Teju Cole Best Books of 2014.
Press, Reviews, Interviews, Radio and TV. (continued)
The Telegraph, 22 December 2014. Cheryl Newman My Favorite Photobooksof 2014
WNYC, 22 December 2014. Colin Dywer and Martha Ann Overland FlippingAhead - Book News. Diana Matar's Evidence.
De Groene Amsterdammer. December 2014. Moderne tijden in Tate Modern enhet Rijksmuseum.
New CultFrame Arti Visivi, December2014. Claudia Colia. Conflict, Time, Photography. Una mostra alla TateModern di Londra
Felix Online , December 2014. Fred Fyles An Excavation of the BloodyHorrors of Warfare
Photobookstore Magazine, 23 December 2014. Yumi Goto. Yumi Goto'sFavorite Photobooks of 2014.
The Independent, 22 December 2014. Annalee Mather Books of the Year2014: Best Photography Books.
Peace Direct, December 2014. Jasmine Mitchell. Conflict Time andPhotography.
Artefact Magazine, 1 December 2014. Sebastian Moss. Exhibitions,Conflict Time Photography.
El Confidencial, November 2014. Barbara Celis Londres. Fotografia deGuerra Sin Heroes ni Sangre.
BBC World Service, 29 November 2014, NewsHour Interview with RaziaIqbal, Diana Matar Photographing Libya's Disappeared.
Time Out London, 28 November 2014. Freire Barnes. Conflict,Time, Photography
The Economist,Intelligent Life, 28 November 2014. Simon Willis. War's Half Life at TateModern.
The Guardian, 25 November 2014. Hannah Ellis Peterson Conflict, Time,Photography at Tate Modern sets timestamp on tragedy.
Disphotic, 24 November 2014. Lewis Bush Review – Evidence Diana Matar.
The Guardian, 12 November 2014 Sean O'Hagan. 'The cruelty is ineverything': photographing the dead and the disappeared of Gaddafi's Libya.
The Culture Trip, November 2014. Lucy Andia. Diana Matar, TheAesthetics of Loss.
Tate Etc. Issue 32. Ipad Edition. Autumn 2014. Conflict TimePhotography Diana Matar.
Middle East Monitor, 22 October 2014. Amelia Smith. Photographer DianaMatar on Libya, her father-in-law's disappearance and portraying absence in herwork.
BluePrint Magazine, Showcase. July 2008. Periphery by Diana Matar
Source Photographic Review, Issue 44 Autumn 2005, Leave to Remain byDiana Matar
Guardian, Pick of the Week, Exhibitions, July 2005, Leave to Remain byDiana Matar
Talks, Lectures, Workshops
Women inFocus Diana Matar Panelist and GuestSpeaker Photography and Social Change. 13 November 2018.
Museum of Contemporary Photography, Chicago Diana Matar: Lecture in Photography Series, 24 January 2018.
Imperial War Museum London; ArtJustice and Terror. Speaker and Panelist. 17 June 2017.
Photo London FT Presents – DianaMatar: New Work from America in conversation with Aaron Schuman. Somerset House, 19 May 2017.
Ace Hotel. Photographing StateViolence. Diana Matar and MaxHoughton in Conversation. 15 March 2017.
Acava Studios London. Sites ofViolence Photographers Diana Matar and Tony Olmos in conversation. 16 February2017.
University of Massachusetts, , The Taskof Witnessing 19 – 20 September 2016.
Al Alwan Center for the Arts, New York, Artist Talk Evidence by Diana Matar. 13 October 2015.
The GoEun Museum of Photography, EvidenceDiana Matar. 29 August 2015.
Center for Urban History of East Central Europe, L’viv Ukraine. EvidenceDiana Matar. 30 April 2015.
Tate Modern, London. Photographing History: Conflict, Time, Photographyartists in conversation with Simon Baker and Shoair Mavlian. Stephen Shore,Diana Matar, Chloe Dewy Mathews and Hrair Sarkissian 10 February 2015.
Arts Club London. Simon Baker Curator of Tate Modern in Conversationwith Conflict Time Photography Artist Diana Matar. 8 January 2015.
Michigan State University Public Library. Colloquia Artist Talk Series: DianaMatar Evidence. September 2014.
Page Turner Festival, Brooklyn, The Disappeared Panel Discussion. October 2013.
Columbia University, New York NY. Photography and Spaces of Violence November2013.
Dar El Fanoon, Tripoli Libya. Artists Talk Series. Diana Matar inconversation with Poet and translator Khaled Mattawa. April 2012.
New York University, Tisch School of the Arts, New York, NY. Visitingartist lecturer in Fred Ritchen’s courses on Photography and Justice and DocumentaryPhotography. Autumn 2004/2011/ 2012/2013.
Deutsche Bank Award Lecture Series. Artist Talk and Presentation. 2010.
San Francisco State University, USA. Visiting artist lecturer in KenKobre’s Documentary Projects Class. 2004, 2005, 2011.
Plymouth City Museum and Gallery, UK. 2007 Artist talk and presentation.2006.
Plymouth University, Plymouth UK. Artist talk, presentation, and studentworkshop. 2006.
Resounding Images, Plymouth, UK. Artist talk. 2006
Talks, Lectures, Workshops (continued)
Cambridge School of Art at APU, UK. Artist talk and presentation. 2005
Ipswich College,UK. Artist talk and presentation. 2005.
Cambridge Forum, UK. Artist talk and presentation. 2005
Usher Gallery, The Collection, Lincoln Museum, UK. Artist talk and presentation.2005.
BCA Gallery, UK Artist talk, presentation, and visiting artist workshop. 2005.
FiftyCrows Gallery, San Francisco, Ca. Artist Talk. 2003.
SF Camera Work, San Francisco, CA USA Artist talk and presentation. 1999.
Pacific Film Archive, Berkeley, Ca. In conversation with filmmaker RobNeilson 1997.
SF MOMA: World Press Panel on Documentary Photography This CriticalMirror, 1997.
Teaching:
History Memory Photography: ICP New York: Autumnterm 2014; Autumn term 2015.
Documentary Photography Special Projects:Academy of Art University: Autumn 1997; Autumn and Spring 1998; Spring 1999.
Advanced Photographic Projects, Academy of ArtUniversity: Autumn 1997; Autumn and Spring 1998; Spring 1999.
San Francisco State University: Introduction toPhotography 1997, 1998, Autumn terms only.
Education
MA Fine Art Photography with distinction. Royal College of Art, London,UK. 2008. (MFA equivalent in USA.)
BA Journalism with emphasis on Latin American Studies, San Francisco StateUniversity. San Francisco, USA. 1996.