Emin Özmen is concerned with documenting human rights violations in his home country of Turkey and around the world. He aims to bring attention to the suffering of those who are victim to civil unrest and social injustice.
Özmen studied photography in the Fine Arts Faculty at Marmara University of Istanbul. In 2008, he obtained a degree in Documentary photography at the University of Art and Design in Linz, Austria.
In 2011, he worked on famine in East Africa, on disaster of Japan Earthquake-Tsunami and economic protests in Greece. The following year, he started covering the Syrian civil war and IS crisis in Iraq, which he continues to document. Since then, he has worked in South Sudan, Niger, Nigeria, Venezuela, Azerbaijan, Iraq and Turkey among other countries.
His work has been published by TIME magazine, New York Times, Washington Post, Der Spiegel, Le Monde magazine M, Paris Match, Newsweek, among others.
Özmen has won several awards, among them two World Press Photo awards and Public Prize of The Bayeux Calvados awards for war correspondents. He was a member of the jury of 2016 and 2018 World Press Photo Multimedia contests.
His first book 'Olay' published by Mack on 2023.
Özmen joined Magnum Photos in 2017.
He currently lives in Istanbul.
Awards & Honors
2020, Philip Jones Griffiths Award 1.prize
2020, National Geographic explorer 2020-2021 grant
2018, Pulitzer Center grantee
2018, World Press Photo, Digital Story Telling Contest, Jury member
2017, Days Japan Photojournalism Awards, Jury award
2017, POYI ( Pictures Of The Year International), Community Awareness award
2017, Turkey Photojournalists Association, News-story category 1.prize - Daily life category 2.prize, Photo-reportage category 3.prize
2016, World Press Photo Multimedia Contest, Jury member
2016, Turkey Photojournalists Association, Photo-Reportage category 2.prize & Portrait category 2.prize
2015, Magnum Photos Photographer Fund winner for 'Limbo' project
2015, IPA International Photography Awards - War Conflict category - 2. prize.
2014, World Press Photo Multimedia Contest - 1. prize.
2014, Prix Bayeux-Calvados des correspondants de guerre - Public Jury Photo Prize
2014, Turkey Photojournalists Association Special Award.
2014, RIFF Rome Independent Fılm Festival, 'Witnessing Gezi' Special Selection
2014, New York Press Club, Spot news photo award.
2013, World Press Photo Contest - Spot news singles 2. prize
2013, Frontline Club Photojournalism awards finalist.
2013, Turkey Photojournalists Association Special Award.
Exhibitions
2025, France, Marseille, Leica Gallery Marseille, 'La Marée' - solo exhibition
2024, Turkey, Bursa, Tayyare Cultural Center, '34 Days' - solo exhibition
2024, Turkey, Istanbul Bulgur Palace, 'Human Rights: The Have’s and Have Nots' - Curated by Emin Özmen
2023, China, Shanghai. Gallery X Space, 'Curved Lines' - Group Exhibition with Alessandra Sanguinetti and Gregory Halpern
2022-2023, Turkey, Istanbul. Pera Museum, 'Today's Istanbul' - Group Exhibition
2022, Germany, Berlin. Stiftung Reinbeckhallen, 'Jetzt Magnum Photos' - Group Exhibition
2020-2021, Germany, Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation, “Open for Business - Magnum photographers on commission” – group exhibition
2020, Switzerland, Geneva. Red Crescent Museum “COVID-19 and Us by Magnum Photos and You”- group exhibition
2020, Turkey, Istanbul. Istanbul Modern Museum, “Photography in Days of Pandemic” – group exhibition (online)
2019, USA, San Fransisco, World Affairs Auditorium, collaboration between Magnum Photos, Pacific Standard and the Pulitzer Center, "A Journey through Contested Lands" – group exhibition
2017, Germany, Berlin - Freirum Für Fotografie - 'Contemporary Photography from Turkey' - group exhibition
2017, Germany, Hannover - 'Flucht' - group exhibition
2016-2017, Turkey, French Institue Istanbul - Les Limbes - solo exhibition
2016, France, Le Guilvinec, Photo Festival - "L'Homme et la Mer" - Les Limbes - solo exhibition
2016, Netherlands, Rotterdam, Niffo Gallery - Les Limbes - solo exhibition
2016, Germany, Hannover 5th LUMIX Festival for Young Photojournalism, Witnessing Gezi
2015, Turkey, Bursa Fotofest - Les Limbes - solo exhibition
2014, France, Bayeux Calvados War Correspondents Festival - Occupy Gezi - group exhibition
2014, Turkey, Antalya Fotofest - Alewites - solo exhibition
2013, Netherlands, Amsterdam Mediamatic - Occupy Gezi - Solo exhibition
2011, Turkey, Istanbul Taksim Metro - Somalia; East African Drought - Solo exhibition
Lectures & Panels&Mentorships
2024, Istanbul AKM, Ataturk Cultural Center, lecture 'Visual Stortelling'
2021, Tblisi Photography Festival, Mentorship Program for women photographers
2017, Kayseri Erciyes University, Communication Faculty, lecture 'Photojournalism'
2014, Cyprus East Mediterian University, Communication Faculty, lecture 'Visual Storytelling'
2014, Turkey, Istanbul Bahçeşehir University, Law Faculty, Panel 'Isis Crises In Middle-East'
2014, Turkey, World Press Photo Istanbul Exhibition, Panel 'Multimedia Storytelling'
2014, Turkey, Marmaris Photo Festival, lecture 'Photojournalism'
2013, Netherlands, Amsterdam Mediamatic, Panel 'New Media'
2013, Turkey, Pera Museum Istanbul, Panel 'Testimony'
2013, Turkey, Ankara Bilkent Universtiy Photo Club, Lecture 'Photojournalism'
2013, Turkey, Istanbul Marmara University, FineArts Faculty, Panel 'Photojournalism'
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