based in Hamburg and Dortmund / GER
DE +49 163 164 5656
mail@kardashaliona.com
Aliona Kardash (1990) is a documentary photographer from Siberia, based in Hamburg, Germany. She is a member of DOCKS collective and is represented by LAIF Agency.
Aliona holds a BA in Journalism from the Tomsk State University in Russia. In 2017 she studied photography in the International Class of the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Hannover, since 2019 she is a MA student of the FH Dortmund. A recipient of the STERN Stipendium 2022, she worked for a year as a photojournalist for Stern Magazine.
In her photographical practice she often refers to her own background in search of universal patterns in very personal stories. She deals with cultural and national identity, people’s connection to their past and common grounds.
Clients (selection):
The New York Times, The Washington Post, TIME, GEO, Stern, Capital, Der Spiegel, Spiegel Geschichte, Die Zeit, Zeit Magazin, Zeit Wissen, taz. Die Tageszeitung, Meduza, Emscher Genossenschaft
Awards and Mentions (selected):
2025
• World Press Photo Award - Winner Long Term Projects, Europe
2024
• Stern-Preis - Shortlist
• Otto Steinert-Preis - 1st Prize
• New York Portfolio Review - Participant
2023
• PhMuseum 2023 Women Photographers Grant - Shortlist
• Nikon Fotobus Grant - 2nd Prize
• W. Eugene Smith Student Grant - Honorable Mention
• Hamburg Portfolio Review - Participant
• Stern-Preis - Shortlist (DOCKS)
• Felix Schoeller Award - Finalist (DOCKS)
2022
• STERN Stipendium 2022 - Recipient
• Leica Oskar Barnack Award - Finalist (DOCKS)
• Otto-Steinert-Preis - 3rd Prize (DOCKS)
• Rückblende Preis für politische Fotografie - Winner (DOCKS)
2021
• VG Bild-Kunst Project Grant - Recipient
• Hamburg Portfolio Review - Participant
2019
• "30 Jahre Mauerfall" - Nikon workshop with Bénédicte Kurzen and Daniel Biskup - Selected
• Canon Content Creation Program - Selected
Talks and lectures:
2025
• JIVE Labs, Berlin - Artist talk
2024
• Hamburg Week of Press Freedom - Artist talk, invited by LAIF Foundation
• HfK Bremen - Artist talk
2023
• LAIF Genossenschaft, Annual Member’s Meeting - Artist talk
• Fotodoks Festival, München - artist talk (DOCKS)
• Photopia, Hamburg - Artist talk
• University of Applied Sciences and Arts Hannover - Artist talk
• Hochschule Darmstadt - Artist talk and workshop
2022
• Wiesbadener Fototage - Artist talk, (DOCKS)
• FOAM Workshop on Collaborations & Collectives - Invited expert (DOCKS)
2021
• Hamburg Portfolio Review - Artist talk
2017-2019
• Tomsk State University, Faculty of Journalism - Teacher of photojournalism
• "Selkup. Save as" - Workshop and multimedia project - Curator and picture editor
• Inner Estonia - Workshop and multimedia project - Curator and picture editor
Exhibitions (selected):
2025
• "Zuhause riecht es nach Rauch", solo exhibition in Kulturort Depot Dortmund, Germany
2023
• ”A Year along the Banks”, MRO Foundation Arles, France (DOCKS)
• ”A Year along the Banks”, FOTODOKS Munich, Germany (DOCKS)
• ”A Year along the Banks”, Bucharest Photofest, Romania (DOCKS)
• ”A Year along the Banks”, GAF Gallery for Photography, Hanover, Germany (DOCKS)
• "Zuhause riecht es nach Rauch", F2 Fotofestival Dortmund, Germany
2021
• "Bewegte Körper", Michael Horbach Stiftung Cologne, Germany
• "Ruhrgebiet:Notizen", outdoor exhibition in Hamm, Oberhausen, Hagen and Gelsenkirchen, Germany
2020
• «Seeking.Moving.Belonging», virtual exhibition. Participant and curator
2019
• «Re:view. Screening», Voies Off Arles, France. Participant and curator
• «30 Jahre Mauerfall», Ostkreuzschule Berlin, Germany
• «UNHIDE», Manara Amman, Jordan
• «Incondition», Superraum Dortmund, Germany. Curator
2017
• «Crossroads», Platzprojekt Hannover, Germany. Participant and curator