Information
Biography
(December 2024)
Ci Demi (he/him, b. 1986, Istanbul, Türkiye) 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, December 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), his use of colour to convey a “quiet tension” is prominent in his work.
He’s a member of Connected Archives. Some of his prints can be found at Bilsart Shop.
Curriculum vitae
Awards
2022 Winner, Discovery Awards, Encontros da Imagem
Nominations
2024 Nominee, Prix Pictet 2025
2024 Nominee, C/O Berlin Talent Award 2025
2024 Nominee, Joop Swart Masterclass
2022 Nominee, Leica Oskar Barnack Award
Shortlists
2024 First 40, Dear Dave, Fellowship
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
Harvard Business Manager (Licensing, 2025)
Zeit Online (Editorial, 2024)
Aposto (Editorial, 2024)
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)
NGOs
Better Shelter (Editorial, 2024)
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
Dear, Dave Magazine (Portfolio, 2025) · 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
Lenscratch (Interview, 2024) · 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: January 7, 2025 17:55