Giya Makondo-Wills (b.1994) is a British-South African documentary photographer based between the U.K and the Netherlands. Her work looks at identity, race, colonisation, the western gaze and systems of power. She holds a BA (hons) and a MA in Documentary Photography from the University of South Wales (formerly Newport). As of 2021 she is also a teacher on Documentary Photography at the Royal Academy of Art, The Hague (KABK).
She was nominated for the 2019 World Press Photo Joop Swart Masterclass and in 2018 selected as one of the '31 women to watch out for' by the British Journal of Photography.
She has exhibited in Lagos, Johannesburg, Dusseldorf, Milan and Paris as well as widely within the UK. Featured in several ‘graduate of the year’ profiles, she has won an IFOR documentary photography award and been shortlisted for other prizes.
Her work has been published in the British Journal of Photography, Royal Photographic Society journal, It’sNiceThat, Unseen Magazine and Source Photographic Review amongst others.
Her first photobook 'They Came From The Water While The World Watched' is currently available for pre order and published in 2021 by The Lost Light Recordings.
She is available for commissions, talks and workshops at educational institutions.
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Exhibitions
2020 - CROYANCES, faire et defaire l'invisible (Cultural Institue of Islam. Paris, France. March 2020 - January 2021)
2018 - Photo Vogue , BASE (Milan, Italy, November 2018)
2018 - Hiareth. An MA Documentary photography group show. (Truman Brewery, London, England, October 2018)
2018 - FOUNDATION. An exhibition celebrating the best photographic talent nurtured in the South West. (Poly, Falmouth, England, April 28th-2nd May 2018)
2018 - Duesseldorf Photo Weekend 2018 'Neighbourhood' (Dusseldorf, Germany, 16th -18th February 2018)
2017/2018 - Cream 17: A Showcase of Graduate Photography Talent (Crane Kalman Gallery, Brighton - U.K)
2017/2018 - Young Selector for 'Empire through the Lens: pictures from the British Empire and Commonwealth Collection' (Bristol Museum and Art Gallery - U.K)
2017 - LagosPhoto Festival 2017 'Regimes of Truth' (African Artists Foundation, Lagos, Nigeria, 24th November - 15th December 2017)
2017- Its Nice That Magazine ‘Introducing The Graduates’ (London, U.K 5th July 2017)
2017 - Two Eyes Serve A Movement USW Documentary Photography Graduates (Seen Fifteen Gallery, London 16th-21st June 2017)
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Awards and Commendations
2019 - Nominated by Anastasia Taylor-Lind for the 2019 World Press Photo Joop Swart Masterclass
2018 - '31 women to watch out for' - British Journal of Photography
2018 - Shortlisted for the PHMuseum Women's grant
2018 - Royal Photographic Society Graduate Class of 2018
2018 - British Journal of Photography Graduate Class of 2018
2018 - YCN (You Can Now) annual magazine - 20 Rising Stars in the creative industry
2017 - Selected for Its Nice That Magazine ‘The Graduates’
2017 - Shortlisted for the Royal Photographic Society 160 Exhibition
2017 - Shortlisted for Photogrvy Grant
2017 - Prize winner - IAFOR Documentary Photography Award
2017 - Selected by Marie-France Kittler & Salvator Vitale – Source Photographic Review, Graduates
2016 - Recipient of the Reginald Salisbury Fund Travel Award
2016 - Prize winner 'Call to Celebrate Culture' – Jimmy Nelson Foundation
Talks
2020 - British Journal of Photography and 1854 Media, in conversation with Giya Makondo-Wills
2020- Miniclick Photography talks - The Royal Photographic Society, Bristol
2020 - Miniclick Photography talks - Marwoods, Brighton
2019 - Women in Focus: Documentary and Citizenship - National Museum of Wales and The European Centre for Documentary Research