About

Sandra Cattaneo Adorno in front of her exhibition photos in Venice biennale

Sandra Cattaneo Adorno (b. 1953, Rio de Janeiro) started photographing in 2013 at the age of 60 and has since achieved extensive recognition for her work.  Her inventive practice revolves around street photography as a way of questioning reality and representation.  Guided by a profound sense of curiosity, Cattaneo Adorno pairs insight and playfulness to reflect through images on both society and personal memories.

The experimental approach Cattaneo Adorno adopts while photographing is mirrored by the techniques she employs to exhibit her work, ranging from the use of innovative inks and materials to her most recent exploration of the possibilities of connecting stills and projections, visuals and sound.  

Cattaneo Adorno has worked closely with Radius Books to create monographs that could expand the poetic possibilities of her photography: The Other Half of the Sky (2019), Águas de Ouro (2020), Scarti di Tempo (2022) and Ten Years (2024).

In April of 2024 Cattaneo Adorno launched her solo exhibition during the 60th Venice Biennale, organised by the European Cultural Centre.

SELECTED AWARDS AND EXHIBITIONS

2024 Lucie Photo Book Price - Finalist in the category Traditional, subcategory Other

2024 Exposure One Awards - Photographer of the Year in the categories Fine Art, People and Travel; bronze medal in the category Street Photography

2024 International Photography Awards (IPA) - honourable mention in the category Fine Art Books

2024 Urban Photo Awards - finalist in the category Creative Photography

2024 Photo España Best Photobook Awards finalist

2023 International Photography Awards (IPA) - 2nd place in the category Fine Art Books 

2023 Julia Margaret Cameron Awards - Street Photography Series Winner, Fine Art Photography Honourable Mention

2023 AI-AP American Photography Awards 39 Annual Award Book

2022 Critical Mass Finalist

2022 Luupe list of best books of 2022 with Scarti di Tempo

2022 Neutral Density Awards - ND special Photographer of the Year & 1st Prize Category Street Photography

2022 Eyeshot Open Call Winner with Águas de Ouro

2022 International Photo Awards - 1st Place, People/ Street Photography

2021 Lucie Foundation - Open Call Finalist

2021 LensCulture Street Photography Awards - Jurors’ Pick

2021 AI-AP American Photography Awards Category Winner

2021 Focus Photo LA - Finalist

2021 Feature Shoot Emerging Photography Awards Series - Winner

2021 Feature Shoot Emerging Photography Awards Single Images - Winner

2021 International Photography Awards - 1st Prize in the category People/ Street Photography & Honourable Mention in the category Fine Art/ Abstract

2021 Monochrome Awards 3rd Prize in the Street Photography category and two Honourable Mentions

2021 Street Photography Awards organized by DPSP Street - 1st Prize

2021 LifeFramer - World Travellers Editor’s Pick

2021 PX3 Prix de la Photographie de Paris - 1st Prize & Gold in the Special/ Street Photography category

2021 16th Julia Margaret Cameron Awards - 2nd Prize Street Photography Series, 3rd Prize Black&White Series & four Honourable Mentions

2020 14th Julia Margaret Cameron Awards 1st Prize Winner

2020 International Photography Awards Category Winner

2020 URBAN Photo Awards Winner 1st Prize

2020 ND Street Photography Awards 2nd Prize by Neutral Density Magazine & three Honourable Mentions

2019 American Illustration-American Photography Awards - Selected Winner

2019 Portrait of Humanity Award in collaboration with Magnum Photos - Selected Winner

2019 Art on a Postcard at PhotoLondon

2019 Neutral Density Magazine People Photographer of the Year

2019 National Geographic 100 Contest Finalist

2018 PDN Exposure Award

2017 American Illustration-American Photography Awards

2016 Sony Awards Honourable Mention

Honourable Mentions

2024 London Photography Awards - 2 Honourable Mentions in the Fine Art and Street Photography categories

2024 Annual Photography Awards - 2 Honorable Mentions in the People: Street Life category

2023 Neutral Density Awards - 2 Honorable Mentions in the People: Street Photography category

2022 IPA Awards - Fine Art Books, Honourable Mention

2022 Tokyo International Foto Awards - Honourable Mention in the category Fine Arts with Scarti di Tempo 

2022 reFocus Awards - Category Travel, two Honourable Mentions, one Nominee - Category Street Photography, one Honourable Mention, one Nominee

2022 European Cultural Centre - Personal Structures - Special Mention in the Photography category 

2022 18th Julia Margaret Cameron Awards - Street Photography Series - Honourable Mention

2021 17th Julia Margaret Cameron Awards- Honourable Mentions in the following categories: Abstract Series (twice), Abstract Singles, Documentary Series, Landscape Series, Street Singles

2021 ND Awards- Honourable Mention in the Fine Art, Abstract category

2020 15th Julia Margaret Cameron Awards - Honourable Mention in three categories

Exhibitions

Solo Exhibitions

2024 Ten Years, European Cultural Centre, Palazzo Bembo, Venice, April 20th to November 24th 2024

2022 Sandra Cattaneo Adorno Solo Exhibition, European Cultural Centre, Palazzo Mora, Venice, April 23rd to November 27th 2022

2022 Sandra Cattaneo Adorno, Brazilian Consulate, New York City, November 15th 2022 to January 17th 2023

Collective Exhibitions

2024 Lucie Photo Book Proze exhibition at Los Angeles Center of Photography, Los Angeles

2024 Les Rencontres de Marrakesh

2024 Photo España Photo Book Prize, Fernán Gomez Cultural Centre, Madrid

2024 Women Street Photography Exhibition, Rome

2024 Robert Mann Gallery, ‘School is out for the Summer’ online exhibition

2024 Encontro da Imagem, Lisbon

2024 20th Julia Margaret Cameron Awards, Barcelona 

2023 IPA Best of Show, Carnegie Hall

2023 Woman Street Photography Exhibition at Kuala Lumpur Photography Festival, Kuala Lumpur, August

2023 Women Street Photographers, Annual ExhibitionNew York 

2022 Fotofestival Solar Fortaleza, Brazil

2022 Galleria del Cembalo, Rome, November 

2022 Fotofestival Solar Fortaleza, Brazil

2022 Eyeshot Magazine Awards Winners, Galleria del Cembalo, Rome, November 

2022 Women Street Photographers exhibition in Hyderabad, India

2022 Paris Photos

2022 FIEBRE Photofestival, Madrid

2022 HeadOn Festival, Sydney (online exhibition)

2022 Lens Culture exhibition, Caelum Gallery, New York City

2022 Fotografas Latam, Paris

2022 Women Street Photographers exhibition, New York City

2022 Feature Shoot Exhibition at ClampArt Gallery, New York City

2021 Feature Shoot Emerging Photography Awards Series, Berlin & Paris exhibitions, November 2021

2021 Feature Shoot Emerging Photography Awards Single Images Exhibition, Los Angeles, October 2021

6th Biennial of Fine Art & Documentary Photography, Barcelona, December 2021

2021 Lucie Foundation - Open Call Finalist Online Exhibition (click here to view)

PX3 Prix de la Photographie de Paris, Paris, October 2021

Treviso Photo Festival - Special Guest - Exhibitions on billboards around Treviso and at Luigi Bailo Museum, September 2021

Focus Photo LA Summer 2021, Los Angeles, September 2021

Women Street Photographers Exhibition, Paris, July 2021

Praxis Gallery, Minneapolis, June 2021

Fotografas Latam 2021, Paris, TBC

The Billboard Creative, Los Angeles from April 2021

Women Street Photographers Virtual Exhibition, April 2021

14th Julia Margaret Cameron Awards 2020 exhibition, Barcelona

Women Street Photographers Exhibition in Chelyabinsk, Russia 2020

Italian Photo Festival - Special Guest - Venice, 2020

Trieste Photo Days, Trieste, Italy 2020

Indian Photo Festival, Hyderabad, india, 2020

Women Street Photographers End of the Year Exhibition, New York, 2020

Organ Vida International Photography Festival 2019 in Zagreb, Croatia

Miami Photo Fest in 2019

Street Photo Milano 2019

Sofia Street Photography Festival 2019

Kuala Lumpur Photography Festival 2019

Bielso-Biala Foto Art Festival 2019

Brussels Street Photography Festival 2019

Xposure Photo Festival 2019 in the United Arab Emirates

Lagos Photo Festival Portrait of Humanity Global Tour 2019

Photoville in Brooklyn in 2019

Photo NOLA Festival 2019 at Louisiana State Museum

Photoville in Brooklyn in 2018

Kaunas Photo Festival in 2018

Women Street Photographers exhibition in New York 2018

Miami Street Photography Festival 2018

Independent Photographer 2017 show in Berlin

Sony Awards 2016, Somerset House, London