Ci Demi

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Information


Biography


Self-portrait (2021)

Ci Demi (b. 1986, Istanbul, Turkey) is a photographer based in Istanbul. He studied Italian Language and Literature at Istanbul University. At 28, he discovered photography.

His photographs have been featured in prominent publications like Foam Magazine and the British Journal of Photography. Demi's work has been showcased at renowned festivals and venues, including Les Rencontres d'Arles and Istanbul's Pera Museum. In 2022, his series "Unutursan Darılmam" (No Offence If You Forget, 2018 - 2024) was selected as the winner of Discovery Awards at Encontros da Imagem photography festival.

Onagöre published Demi's debut book, "Şehir Fikri" (Notion of a City, 2022), an eerie portrayal of Istanbul marked by the absence of people, animals, and language. Inspired by Georges Perec's Oulipo novel "La Disparition" (A Void, 1969), the book focuses on the city's haunting essence.

His personal work explores the psychogeography of Istanbul, intricately weaving together intimate narratives of the city's landscape with his own lived experiences. While he adopts a documentarian approach to his images—ensuring they are always unaltered and unstaged—the colour palette he employs is crucial to his storytelling. Drawing inspiration from Italian horror/thriller films of the 1970s, known as giallos, he meticulously crafts a sense of "quiet tension" through his use of colour.

He’s a member of Connected Archives.

Curriculum vitae


Awards

2022 Winner, Discovery Awards, Encontros da Imagem

Nominations

2024 Nominee, Joop Swart Masterclass
2022 Nominee, Leica Oskar Barnack Award

Shortlists

2023 Shortlist, Foam Talent Call 2024-25
2023 Shortlist, Belfast Photo Festival
2021 Shortlist, 212 Photography Istanbul

Grants

2018 SAHA, Travel grant for Les Rencontres d’Arles

Teaching

2023 Istanbul in My Lens: Photographing the City, Workshop and portfolio review, Pera Museum

Clients: Publications

Harper’s Bazaar Italia (Licensing, 2024)
11Freunde (Editorial, 2024)
Der Spiegel (Editorial, 2024)
Society (Editorial, 2023)
Financial Times (Editorial, 2023)
The New York Times (Editorial, 2023)
Zeit Magazin (Editorial, 2023)
Die Zeit (Editorial, 2023)
Kaos GL (Cover, Licensing, 2023)
Altyazı (Editorial, 2022)
Frankie Magazine (Editorial, 2022)

Clients: NGOs

Better Shelter (Editorial, 2024)

Clients: Music

Zorlu PSM (Editorial, 2018)
Simge Pınar (Single Cover, Editorial, 2018)
Deniz Tekin (Editorial, 2017)
Sofar Sounds (Editorial, 2015 - 2018)

Other clients

Première Vision (Licensing, 2023)
Reflect Studio (Commercial, 2022)

Press


Highlights

Nowness (Video essay, 2024) · DPReview (Interview, 2023) · Foam Magazine (Feature, Print, 2023) · Turkey Book Talk (Podcast, 2023) · Creative Review (Photography Annual, Feature, Print, 2022) · British Journal of Photography (Feature, Print, 2022) · Booooooom (Feature, 2022) · WePresent (Profile, 2022)

Interviews

Raandoom (Interview, 2024) · Ve Diğer İşler (Podcast, 2024) · The Urbanaut Podcast (Podcast, 2024) · Onagöre Blog (Söyleşi, 2023) · Hyperallergic (Interview, 2023) · ArtDog Istanbul (Söyleşi, Print, 2023) · Calling #2 (Söyleşi, 2022) · Maviblau (Interview, 2022) · Yerden Yüksek (Açık Radyo, Söyleşi, 2022) · Calling (Söyleşi, 2022) · Bant Mag (Söyleşi, 2022) · 212 Studio (Instagram interview, 2022) · ERRR Magazine (Interview, 2022) · Anywhere Blvd (Interview, 2022) · Urbanautica (Interview, 2022) · allcitiesarebeautiful (Interview, 2022) · Fotoğraf Konuşmaları (Podcast, 2021) · Kaleydoskop (Interview, 2021) · Trendland (Interview, 2021) · VSCO (Interview, 2019)

Others

Rast Magazine (Hikaye, 2024) · this isn’t happiness #2 (Feature, 2024) · Perimetro (Feature, 2024) · photo-letter (Feature, 2024) · Adventure.com (Article, 2023) · Cargo (Feature, 2023) · revue EPIC (Feature, Print, 2023) · Safelight Paper (Feature, 2023) · Pera Museum Blog (Story, 2023) · Switch Magazine (Feature, Print, 2023) · Decalogue Magazine (Feature, 2022) · Der Greif (Feature, 2022) · Art Unlimited (Editorial, 2022) · Fisheye Magazine (Feature, 2022) · Bir Kare Bir Anlam (TRT 2, Documentary, Episode 13 & 17, 2022) · Broad Magazine (Feature, 2021) · Ain’t Bad (Feature, 2021) · C41 Magazine (Feature, 2021) · Subjectively Objective (Feature, 2021) · this isn’t happiness (Feature, 2021) · Istanbul Art News (Feature, Print, 2019) · Fabrika Zine (Feature, Print, 2018) · L'Œil de la Photographie (Feature, 2017) · GUP Magazine (Feature, 2017)

Mentions

Dear Dave, Magazine (Instagram feature, 2024) · Polka Magazine (Instagram feature, 2024) · Milk (Instagram feature, 2024) · Yogurt Magazine (Instagram feature, 2022) · The Museum of Modern Art (Instagram feature, 2022) · Nowness Asia (Instagram feature, 2021) · Noice Magazine (Instagram feature, 2021) · AnOther Magazine (Instagram feature, 2021)

Updated: October 14, 2024 23:36
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