— About
Maria
— About
Maria
Dabrowski's photographs are poetic, symbolic and contemplative. They have soft color casts, yet are dark and grainy at the same time. Her long term projects are presented in photo installations and in book form. Her work contains a certain tension behind the initially inconspicuous image of everyday’s life.
Maria Dabrowski
1988, Zwolle, The Netherlands.
Through her analogue photography, usually with a 35mm camera, Dabrowski is intuitively drawn to the mental conditions of the world around her. She immerses herself in both personal and social topics. Her projects are layered and touch on universal themes such as time, existence, identity, memory and the human psyche.
In 2013, Dabrowski started to investigate her own familyhistory with the project 'Odsłonić/Reveal', which resulted in a photobook that became nominated for MACKS First Book Awards 2020 and awarded for The Best Dutch Book Designs 2019. Her bookproject 'SYNC' (2017-2022), which is about 'own' rhythm, processing and slowing down in these accelerated (digital) times, became a winning project at the Dutch Creativity Awards '23.
Dabrowski obtained a BA of Design Photography at the HKU University of the Arts in Utrecht and a MA of Visual Arts degree at the LUCA School of Arts Brussels.
Education
2014-2015
Master of Visual Arts, Photography, LUCA School of Arts Brussels.
2006-2010
Bachelor of Design Photography, University of the Arts Utrecht.
Exhibitions
2023
SYNC - Municipality of Nijmegen / Stadhuis van Nijmegen - July-aug.
2023
Expo Podium - Cultuurhuis De Lindenberg Nijmegen. Project: SYNC (May).
2022
Group exhibition: Was übrig bleibt, project: SYNC, Pictura, Groningen. From 19-11 till 31-12-2022.
2021
Biennale de Photographie - Nouvelles Vagues - Condroz, Belgium. 31.07 - 29.08
2021
KF-Gallery, Seoul, South-Korea. (23.06- 19.08) The Best Dutch Book Designs books from 2019. Project: Odsłonić.
2021
Buy my darlings - Naked edition - photo sale event. NDSM-Fuse, Amsterdam. 27.06
2021
Ondersporen - CCHA - Hasselt, Belgium. 2.04 - 6.06.
2021
Expo Polska, Den Haag (postponed)
2020
The Best Dutch Book Designs 2019, Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam. Awarded book: Odsłonić. (03.10 - 01.11)
2020
NDDA – Kunstkapel Notre Dame Des Arts, Ubbergen. Project: Symbiosis/Birth of a Mother. (July)
2020
MACK First Book Awards 2020, Nominated book: Odsłonić. Photo Londen, May.
2019
Singular Art Gallery Nijmegen - Book launch and exhibition – Odsłonić
2019
Biblioteka Polska Amsterdam, Project: Odsłonić
2019
Radboud Universiteit Nijmegen, Project: Odsłonić
2019
B#Side War festival Venice/Treviso Italy. Project: Odsłonić. For a human geography of war.
2018
99+1 - Museum Het Valkhof, Nijmegen. Installation: Odsłonić. (group)
2018
Helsinki Photo Festival, Galleria Futura.
2017
Konik - Rewilding process (2010) DerdeWal at Hogeschool van Arnhem en Nijmegen: herky-jerky.
2017
Konik - Rewilding process (2010) and Odsłonić (2015-in process) - 13th to 27th May - New Era Art Foundation, Kraków, Poland.
2015
Masters photo LUCA School of Arts, Lara Bongaerts & Maria Dabrowski at Recyclart, Brussels
2015
Green Yellow and Black, curated by Lieven Segers at LUCA Gallery, Brussels. Project: Piece of Heaven (group)
2015
Graduation exhibition Masters photography of LUCA School of Arts, De Markten Brussels. Project: Odsłonić
2014
Gelders Balkon 23, Museum of Modern Art Arnhem. "Every day is a different day." (solo)
2014
Prospects & Concepts - Mondriaan Fund, Art Rotterdam. (group)
2013
Back home - work in progress, Museum of Ideas, Lviv, Ukraine. (solo)
2013
CODE 207 - with Sanne Cobussen. Fundraising for the Refugees Church, Amsterdam (group)
2012
Flatland Gallery Utrecht. FOTODOK: Verzamelplaats, verhalen uit het Utrechtse landschap. Project; Memed. (Group)
2012
Library of Medical Sciences / CBK, Radboud university medical center. Project: Rezeda, 2010 (group)
2012
Derde Wal Nijmegen. Dialogues 4: Maria Dabrowski & Sanne Cobussen: CODE 207 (duo)
2011
All The Things You Are. Series of self-portraits; untitled. Gallery of the University of the Arts Utrecht. (group)
2011
Fotoleggendo, Rome. Photobook exhibition. Konik, verwilderingsprocess
Publications
2023
Discarded Magazine - SYNC Book-review by Linda Zhengova .
2023
PF Magazine - interview about project SYNC by Diana Bokje.
2023
SYNC – Maria Dabrowski. Design/concept: Studio Another Day, Maria Dabrowski. Text: Joris van Merwijk.
2021
Speling, thema: Melancholie. Daan van Speybroeck, Melancholie van haar genereuze kant, fotocycli van Maria Dabrowski en Zoe Patron.
2021
Het Parool, Buy My Darlings, photo-sale event. Photo: Birth of a Mother, 24-06-2021.
2021
Selected for Der Greif - Guest-room with Richmond Orlando Mensah - Rebirth - photo from the series Birth of a Mother (online exhibition)
2020
Birth of a Mother - Maria Dabrowski. Design: Studio Another Day.
2020
GUP magazine – book review - Odsłonić - written by Linda Zhengová (june)
2020
Artwork, photography for: Bismut - Retrocausality. Photo: "Woods" and "Noise"
2020
2020 Interview for asiancurator.com (june)
2019
Odsłonić - Maria Dabrowski. Design/concept: Studio Another Day, Maria Dabrowski. (Awarded and nominated)
2018
99+1 - Vrije kunst in Nijmegen - catalogue
2016
Artwork, photography for: Yaleesa Hall - Woodall. Photo from the series: Konik
2015
MA thesis: (Cultural) Identity & Family history / Memory in Contemporary Art . Seeking for universal dimensions in family history. Tutors: Marie-Pascale Gildemyn / Els Opsomer. LUCA - School of Arts, Brussels
2015
Online portfolio, New Dawn, a platform for contemporary Dutch photography.“Maria Dabrowski’s zoektocht naar haar familiegeschiedenis”
2014
2014 Art Rotterdam Catalogue Mondriaan Fund Prospects & Concepts.
2014
2014 Joanneke Meester Calendar: I am not doing anything until I feel the need.
2014
Mister Motley about the solo exhibition; Maria Dabrowski "Every day is a different day." - Museum of Modern Art Arnhem.
2012
New Dutch Photography Talent- GUP, 100 emerging photographers
2011
Playground: Masterclass at Kahmann Gallery - portfolio
2011
Online publication: www.vice.com : Een beeldige zaterdag - Maria Dabrowski augustus 13, 2011
2011
Photographic noise - hippolytebayard.com
2010
Konik, verwilderings process (handmade book)
2010
Rezeda (handmade book)
2010
BA thesis: Diaspora & ecology. Tutor: Pepijn Van de Port. University of the Arts Utrecht
2009
Memed. “Every day is a different day” (Handmade book)
2009
Newspaper Straatnieuws: The hidden lives of Eastern European Utrechters. No 03.
2008
Mai aproape - Romanian street musicians (handmade book)
Awards & Grants
2023
Photo book SYNC - Awarded at the Dutch Creativity Awards 2023 (gold).
2023
PX3 Prix de la Photographie Paris - Bronze in Book/Other for Photobook SYNC
2022
Grant for project SYNC - Stichting Jaap Harten Fonds.
2022
Grant for talent development, for project SYNC - Groeispurt Fonds Nijmegen
2020
Photo book "Odsłonić" shortlisted for MACK First Book Award, London
2020
Grant for talent development, project Birth of a Mother - Province of Gelderland
2019
Photo book "Odsłonić" awarded at the Best Dutch Book Designs
2018
Runner-up - Photographique Analogue Award 2018, Bristol
2014
Mondriaan Fund - Visual art grant. Stipendium for Emerging Artists, The Netherlands
2009
Nominated for Mr. Motley; Talent Top 3
Book fairs
2024
Photobook fair - Foto event Nijmegen.
2024
Pennings Foundation - Photobook Fair.
2023
POLYCOPIES - Independant photo books, fanzines and publishers book fair in Paris during Paris Photo. SYNC, Lecturis (NL)
2023
UNSEEN AMSTERDAM photobook fair. SYNC – Lecturis (NL) Westergas.
2023
ARLES BOOKS FAIR - SYNC photobook - Tipi Bookshop (BE) 4-8 july 2023
2023
Leipzig Book Fair, SYNC – Lecturis (NL) April 29-30.
2021
abC Bookfair, Beijing, China, The Best Dutch Book Designs books from 2019. Project: Odsłonić.
2020
Tokyo Art Book Fair (Virtual). Fukagawa, Japan. (16.11- 23.11) The Best Dutch Book Designs books from 2019. Project: Odsłonić.
Other work experience
2024
Presentatie: Het maakproces van een fotoboek - Dag van het Fotoboek bij Foto Event Nijmegen.
2024
Talkshow: 'Over de Grens' (Across Boundaries) at Cultuur Academy, Arnhem.
2024
DIP 'Dive Into Practice' Talk - LUCA School of Arts, Brussels.
2023
Summer Lab: Troubling Time(s) - A conversation with Maria Dabrowski, Aafke de Jong and Laure van den Hout, at ArtEZ University of the Arts, Zwolle.
2022
Photography coach at the Krayenhoffkazerne in Nijmegen.
2021
Photography guest teacher at PHOC, photoschool in Nijmegen.
2016
Intern Art Education - MOCAK, Museum of Contemporary Art, Kraków.
2016
Workshop teacher for teenagers with vulnerable backgrounds at TADA, Toekomst Atelier del Avenir, Brussel.
2015
Marketing support, BOZAR, Centre for Fine Arts, Brussels