Sabiha Çimen (born 1986) is a Turkish photographer.[1] Her series Hafiz, about girls at Quran schools in Turkey, was shown in a solo exhibition at Kunsthal, Rotterdam. For Hafiz, Çimen received a W. Eugene Smith Memorial Fund Grant, 2nd Prize in the Long-Term Projects category of the World Press Photo award, and the First Photobook Award at the Paris Photo–Aperture Foundation PhotoBook Awards.

Early life and education edit

Çimen was born in Istanbul to an ethnically Kurdish Persian family.[1][2] She graduated from Istanbul Bilgi University with an undergraduate degree in international trade and finance, and a master's degree in cultural studies.[3][4] Her master's thesis on subaltern studies, which includes her photo story "Turkey as a Simulated Country", was published in 2019.[3] She is a self-taught photographer.[2][4]

Life and work edit

Çimen's book Hafiz: Guardians of the Qur'an (2021) shows the daily lives of students at girls-only Hafiz schools throughout Turkey. "Hafiz" means "guardian" and refers to people who memorize the Quran. Çimen spent 3 years herself studying in such a school, where she returned to in 2017 to begin making this autobiographical work. She went on to photograph Quran schools elsewhere until 2021.[2][4]

Çimen became a Magnum Photos Nominee member in 2020.[5][6]

Personal life edit

Çimen has a twin sister.[4]

Publications edit

  • Turkey as a Simulated Country. Cambridge Scholars, 2019. ISBN 978-1-5275-1821-6.[3]
  • Hafiz: Guardians of the Qur'an. Red Hook, 2021. ISBN 978-1-7376814-0-3. Edition of 2000 copies.[2][4][7]

Exhibitions edit

Solo exhibitions edit

Group exhibitions edit

Awards edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b Figes, Lydia (2023-05-03). "Veiled girls on a pink rollercoaster: Sabiha Çimen's best photograph". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2023-10-01.
  2. ^ a b c d "A Photographer Envisions the Lives and Dreams of Turkish Girls". Aperture. 2022-04-29. Retrieved 2023-10-02.
  3. ^ a b c "Sabiha Çimen – Photographer Profile". Magnum Photos. Retrieved 2023-10-02.
  4. ^ a b c d e Orbey, Eren (2023-02-04). "A Turkish Photographer's Tribute to the Girls of Quranic Schools". The New Yorker. ISSN 0028-792X. Retrieved 2023-10-01.
  5. ^ "Magnum Photos 2020 Nominees". Vogue. 2020-11-20. Retrieved 2023-10-01.
  6. ^ Sharp, Sarah Rose (2020-07-02). "Magnum Photos Nominates Five Photographers to Join Its Organization". Hyperallergic. Retrieved 2023-10-02.
  7. ^ Skelton, Flossie. ""They are so much more than a piece of fabric": Sabiha Çimen documents the nuances of Muslim girlhood". British Journal of Photography. Retrieved 2023-10-01.
  8. ^ "Sabiha Cimen". Visa pour l’image. Retrieved 2023-10-02.
  9. ^ https://www.kunsthal.nl/en/plan-your-visit/exhibitions/sabiha-cimen/
  10. ^ Stone, Mee-Lai (2022-10-05). "This woman's work: the view from female Magnum photographers – in pictures". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2023-10-02.
  11. ^ "PhMuseum 2018 Women Photographers Grant - PhMuseum". phmuseum.com. Retrieved 2023-10-02.
  12. ^ Smyth, Diane. "31 women to watch out for". British Journal of Photography. Retrieved 2023-10-02.
  13. ^ "Sabiha Çimen, 2020 W. Eugene Smith Fund Grant Recipient". W. Eugene Smith Memorial Fund. Retrieved 2023-10-01.
  14. ^ "Sabiha Cimen LTP-CAD | World Press Photo". www.worldpressphoto.org. Retrieved 2023-10-01.
  15. ^ "Canon grant winners 2020". Canon Europe. Retrieved 2023-10-02.
  16. ^ Warner, Marigold. "Paris Photo and Aperture announce winners of prestigious photobook awards". British Journal of Photography. Retrieved 2023-10-02.