ABOUT I IMAGES
SANDRA CATTANEO ADORNO
currently showing
Sandra Cattaneo Adorno’s new exhibition, Fragments of Light, is on view at the Palazzo Bembo in Venice alongside the 61st Venice Biennale. Fragments of Light showcases Cattaneo Adorno’s transformative approach to street photography, enveloping us in a mellifluous blend of sight, sound, and motion to explore the inherent fragility and unstable experience of perception. Adorno is debuting three dimensional work, bringing together large-scale video installation, thirteen monochromatic photographs, and a new photomosaic installation of 24 prints. Included photographs are printed using metallic silver ink on navy blue paper, evoking the silver-toned light of the moon, incorporating the viewer’s reflection into the works.
Fragments of Light is presented in parallel with the 61st Biennale Arte, In Minor Keys, for the 8th Edition of Personal Structures: Confluences, from May 9 – November 22, 2026. The show is presented by the European Cultural Centre Italy and admission is free.
recent press
Sandra Cattaneo Adorno Lets the Light Spill in Venice, Blind Magazine, 2026
From Static Photos to Living Images: How Sandra Cattaneo Adorno Uses Light, Movement, and Materials to Transform Perception, About Photography, 2026
Fragments of Light: Exploring Innovative Photography with Sandra Cattaneo Adorno, FRAMES, 2026
Fragments of Light: Sandra Cattaneo Adorno at Palazzo Bembo, Our Culture Mag, 2026
Everything About This Photographer’s Process is Unique: From Gold and Silver Works of Art to Immersive Exhibitions and Books, Digital Camera World, 2026
Bio
Sandra Cattaneo Adorno took up photography in 2013 at the age of 60 and has since gone on to garner extensive recognition for her work. The author of The Other Half of the Sky and Águas de Ouro (Radius Books, 2019 and 2020) Cattaneo Adorno’s work was recently published in Gulnara Samoilova’s landmark book Women Street Photographers (Prestel 2021) and Portrait of Humanity (Hoxton Mini Press, 2019). Cattaneo Adorno received the 2021 and 2020 Julia Margaret Cameron Award, the 2020 International Photography Award, the 2019 Portrait of Humanity Award in collaboration with Magnum Photos, and was a 2019 National Geographic finalist. She has exhibited work at Somerset House, London; Photoville, Brooklyn; Miami Street Photography Festival; Italian Photo Festival, Venice; PX3 Prix de la Photographie de Paris, Paris, and Women Street Photographers Exhibition in Paris, among many others.
Rio de Janerio, Brazil, 1956
Birthplace
2026
Fragments of Light, Palazzo Bembo, Venice
2024
Ten Years, Palazzo Bembo, Venice
2022
Sandra Cattaneo Adorno Solo Exhibition, European Cultural Centre, Palazzo Mora, Venice
Sandra Cattaneo Adorno, Brazilian Consulate, New York, NY
SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2024
Lucie Photo Book Prize exhibition at Los Angeles Center of Photography, Los Angeles
Rencontres de la Photographie de Marrakech, Marrakech, Morocco
Women Street Photographers, Rome Photo Lab, Rome, Italy
School is out for the Summer (online exhibition), Robert Mann Gallery, New York, NY
Encontro da Imagem, Lisbon, Portugal
2023
Women Street Photographers, Virtual Exhibition
Woman Street Photographers, Kuala Lumpur Photography Festival, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
2022
Fotofestival Solar Fortaleza, Brazil
Women Street Photographers exhibition in Hyderabad, India
HeadOn Festival, Sydney (online exhibition)
IEBRE Photofestival, Madrid, Spain
Lens Culture exhibition, Caelum Gallery, New York, NY
Fotografas Latam, Paris, France
Women Street Photographers exhibition, New York, NY
Feature Shoot Exhibition at ClampArt Gallery, New York City
2021
Feature Shoot Emerging Photography Awards Series, Berlin & Paris Exhibitions
Feature Shoot Emerging Photography Awards Single Images Exhibition, Los Angeles, CA
PX3 Prix de la Photographie de Paris, Paris, France
Focus Photo LA Summer, Los Angeles, CA
Praxis Gallery, Minneapolis, MN
Fotografas Latam, Paris, France
Women Street Photographers Virtual Exhibition
6th Biennial of Fine Art & Documentary Photography, Barcelona, Spain
2020
14th Julia Margaret Cameron Awards, Barcelona
Women Street Photographers Exhibition in Chelyabinsk, Russia
Italian Photo Festival - Special Guest - Venice
Trieste Photo Days, Trieste, Italy
Indian Photo Festival, Hyderabad, India
Women Street Photographers End of the Year Exhibition, New York, NY
2019
Photo NOLA Festival, Louisiana State Museum, LA
Organ Vida International Photography Festival, Zagreb, Croatia
Miami Photo Fest, FL
Street Photo Milano
Sofia Street Photography Festival
Kuala Lumpur Photography Festival
Bielso-Biala Foto Art Festival
Brussels Street Photography Festival
Xposure Photo Festival, United Arab Emirates
Lagos Photo Festival Portrait of Humanity Global Tour
Photoville in Brooklyn, NY
2018
Photoville in Brooklyn, NY
Women Street Photographers exhibition in New York, NY
Miami Street Photography Festival, FL
2017
Independent Photographer Show, Berlin
2016
Sony Awards, Somerset House, London
AWARDS
2025
International Photo Awards (IPA) - 3rd place in the Book/ Fine Art category
Annual Photography Awards (APA) - 2nd place in the Open category
2024
Paris International Street Photo Awards - Bronze Medal in Hybrid Process/Alternative & Bronze Medal in Urban Street/Abstract
European Cultural Centre Photography Award Winner
Neutral Density Awards - Fine Art Photographer of the Year, 1st Prize in Fine Art
Lucie Photo Book Price - Finalist in Traditional, subcategory Other
Exposure One Awards - Photographer of the Year in Fine Art, People and Travel; bronze medal in Street Photography
International Photography Awards (IPA) - honourable mention in Fine Art Books
Urban Photo Awards - finalist in Creative Photography
Photo España Best Photobook Awards finalist
2023
International Photography Awards (IPA) - 2nd place in Fine Art Books
Julia Margaret Cameron Awards - Street Photography Series Winner, Fine Art Photography Honourable Mention
AI-AP American Photography Awards 39 Annual Award Book
2022
Critical Mass Finalist
Luupe list of best books of 2022 with Scarti di Tempo
Neutral Density Awards - ND special Photographer of the Year & 1st Prize Category Street Photography
Eyeshot Open Call Winner with Águas de Ouro
International Photo Awards - 1st Place, People/ Street Photography
2021
Lucie Foundation - Open Call Finalist
LensCulture Street Photography Awards - Jurors’ Pick
AI-AP American Photography Awards Category Winner
Focus Photo LA - Finalist
Feature Shoot Emerging Photography Awards Series - Winner
Feature Shoot Emerging Photography Awards Single Images - Winner
International Photography Awards - 1st Prize in the category People/ Street Photography & Honourable Mention in the category Fine Art/ Abstract
Monochrome Awards 3rd Prize in the Street Photography category and two Honourable Mentions
Street Photography Awards organized by DPSP Street - 1st Prize
LifeFramer - World Travellers Editor’s Pick
PX3 Prix de la Photographie de Paris - 1st Prize & Gold in the Special/ Street Photography category
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
International Photography Awards Category Winner
URBAN Photo Awards Winner 1st Prize
ND Street Photography Awards 2nd Prize by Neutral Density Magazine & three Honourable Mentions
2019
American Illustration-American Photography Awards - Selected Winner
Portrait of Humanity Award in collaboration with Magnum Photos - Selected Winner
Art on a Postcard at PhotoLondon
Neutral Density Magazine People Photographer of the Year
National Geographic 100 Contest Finalist
2018
PDN Exposure Award
2017
American Illustration-American Photography Awards
2016
Sony Awards Honorable Mention
publications
Scarti di Tempo, Radius Books, 2022
Águas de Ouro, Radius Books, 2020
The Other Half of the Sky, Radius Books, 2019