Agata Grzybowska

   

Agata Grzybowska (b. 1984).

Polish visual artist and documentary photographer. In her work, she is interested in people. She travels across the world depicting individuals in difficult, often life-threatening situations. While working, her principle is to get as close as possible to people and their stories. She considers herself a medium which enables other, underprivileged voices to be heard. She strongly believes that everyone has the right to their own story. She graduated from the Direction of Photography at the Polish National Film, Television and Theatre School in Lodz. She has showed her works in Poland, Sydney, Los Angeles, Tokio, Tehran, Moscow, Madrid, Athens and Arles.

Recently she has collaborated with  such film directors as Jonathan Glazer, Chloé Zhao, Jessie Eisenberg and Charlie Kaufmann.
She graduated from the Direction of Photography at the Polish National Film, Television and Theatre School in Lodz. She teaches history of photojournalism and ways of seeing (culture of visuality) at SWPS University in Warsaw. She is Leica Camera Ambasador.

Today, she works as a freelancer, collaborating with magazines and media platforms in Poland and abroad, i.a. CNN, Der Spiegel, World Health Organization, AP, LFI Blog Online, Bloomberg UK, Vogue Polska, Pismo, Tygodnik Powszechny, Newsweek Polska, Digital Camera Poland, Multimedia Gazeta, etc., but also focuses on personal projects related to photography and film.


AWARDS, SHORTLISTS, AND GRANTS

2020:  GOOGLE IMPACT CHALLENGE Grant - multimedia platform "HOME" with collaboration Polish Action Humanitarian (PAH) - pah.org.pl/dom/en
2019:  Tokyo International Photo Awards (TIFA) - GOLD FOR THE BEST BOOK "9 Gates Of No Return" -Blow Up Press
2018:  Honorable Mention International Photography Award (IPA) -  "9 Gates Of No Return"
2018:  Moscow International Foto Awards (MIFA) - Silver in Book People - "9 Gates Of No Return" - Blow Up Press
2018:  Grand Press Photo The Best Book Of The Year 2017 - "9 Gates Of No Return" - BLOW UP PRESS
2018:  Grand Press Photo - Shortlisted in Category Events
2018:  9 Gates Of No Return Shortlisted for the Photobook Of The Year Fotofestiwal 2017 Lodz
2018:  PHotoESPAÑA 2018 - Shortlisted For The Best Book Of The Year - Award in The International Category "9 Gates Of No Return" - Blow Up Press
2018:  MONTH OF PHOTOGRAPHY LOS ANGELES (MOPLA) - OFFICIAL SELECTION BOOK EXHIBITION - "9 Gates Of No Return" - Blow Up Press
2017:  Strzaly 2017 - Nominationa in Lublin Cultural Event Award - "KOCHAM LUBLIN SZANUJE. HARMONY OF THE CITY"
2017:  Plebiscite Fotopolis & Digital Camera - Photobook Of The Year - "9 Gates Of No Return" - Blow Up Press
2017:  YOUNG POLISH 2017 - POLISH MINISTRY OF CULTURE GRANT FOR YOUNG ARTIST
2015:  BZ WBK PRESS PHOTO 2015 - Picture Of The Year 2015
2015:  BZ WBK PRESS PHOTO 2015 - 1ST Prize in Category General News
2014:  GRAND PRESS PHOTO - Nominations in Category Events
2013:  GRAND PRESS PHOTO - 2ND Prize in Photocast Category for "Kill The Gay"
2013:  Amnesty International '13 - Honorable Mention
2013:  Medatiory Student Journalism Awards - "Observe Prize"

SELECTED EXHIBITIONS

2025: Mine Eyes Bees Deceive Center Of Contemporary Art in Warsaw, Poland, curators: Łukasz Rusznica, Kamila Bondar
2025: Architectures of Despair and Hope - exhibition in European Parliament in London, 12 Star Gallery, Europe House, curator: Gabriele Salciute Civiliene
2025: Home. Stories without borders - solo photography show in The Center of Culture and Art in Kalisz, Poland
2025: The Eyes of War exhibition of Polish photojournalist about Russia's war against Ukraine in Poland, Vietnam, India, France, Germany, Croatia, Singapur, and Lithuania. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Poland, Press Club Polska. Curator: Ewa Meissner
2025: Refugee Welcome Museum of Modern Art in Warsaw, Poland
2022: My Home. Civilians during the war: Poland, Ukraine, Syria, Iraq, Lebnanon, curator: Alicja Ryś, Anna Brzezińska
2021: My City - Agata Grzybowska, Tadeusz Rolkę, Chris Niedenthal, Tomek Sikora and Andrzej Świetlik, photography exhibition, Elektrownia Powiśle, Warsaw, curator: Anna Brzezińska,  
2020: 9 Gates Of No Return - solo photography show Kordegarda. Gallery of the National Centre for Culture, curator Katarzyna Haber, Warsaw, Poland
2019: 9 Gates Of No Return - solo photography show AG Gallerie, curator Simindokht Degani  Teheran, Iran
2019: 9 Gates Of No Return - solo photography show in Delmar Gallery, curator Catherine Benz, Sydney, Australia
2019: 9 Gates Of No Return - exhibition polish photography book „The Tell of Plain Books”, curator Maciej Bujko, Tokio Institute of Photography, T.I.P / 72 Gallery, Tokio, Japan
2018: 9 Gates Of No Return during photobook show of the 2018 Athens Photo Festival in The Benaki Museum
2018: 9 Gates Of No Return solo show during Photography Festival in Opole
2018: 9 Gates Of No Return - solo show during Photography Festival in Sopot „W ramach Sopotu”, curator Maja Kaszkur
2018: SALON OF PHOTOGRAPHY: VOLUMES AND OTHER BIRDS ALIKE - group show of the Lodz Film School’s students and graduates - Art Book Museum in Lodz
2018: SALON OF PHOTOGRAPHY: SALON - group show of the Lodz Film School’s teachers, students and graduates - OÅ›rodek Propaganda Sztuki in Lodz
2018: 9 Gates Of No Return  - solo show during Cracow Photo Month, curator Iris Sikking
2018: SOUND PHOTO INSTALLATION - Targi Press Photo EXPO in Warsaw
2017: inPRO Collective - exhibition during Photography Festival in Ostroleka
2016: FORGOTTEN BY WORLD - exhibition documenting the conflict in eastern Ukraine - European Solidarity Centre in Gdansk
2015: FORGOTTEN BY WORLD - exhibition documenting the conflict in eastern Ukraine - Royal Castle in Warsaw
2015: ROOTS & FRUITS - Wroclaw Contemporary Museum during TIFF FESTIVAL
2015: Collective exhibition BZ WBK Press Photo in The Wilson Shaft Gallery in Katowice
2015: Collective exhibition BZ WBK Press Photo in The Old Brewery in Poznan
2015: Collective exhibition BZ WBK Press Photo in the Galery FF - Forum Of Photography in Lodz
2015: Maidan - collective exhibition on the anniversary of Maidan in Presidential Palace in Warsaw
2014: Screening of photocast ’Record’ which is a documentation of revolution in Kiev during the "Container Freedom" project in different cities of Polish
2013: Collective exhibition Grand Press Photo 2013 in Warsaw
2010: IN/OUT Exhibition of PWSFTViT diploma works in the Fabrystrefa Gallery in Lodz
2010: COME ON! COME CLOSER! Exhibition of the best works of the PWSFTViT photography department students held in the Art Propaganda Centre in Lodz
2009: Romania, a Country Of Friendly People - exhibition in the Romanian Cultural Institute in Bucharest
2009: FREED - exhibition during the Multimedia Festival - The Art of the Document, presented at the Royal Route  in Warsaw