Olga Stefatou is a visual artist and curatorial consultant.

She recently moved back to her native country Greece after working with Qatar Museums as photography specialist for two years. In her practice, Stefatou works with mixed media and mainly with photography. She investigates the idea of freedom and its connection to geopolitics, heritage and social structures, with a special interest in gender issues. Believing that image-making should engage the personal and collective consciousness, her work entangles documentary practices with performance elements as tools to reflect alternative realities. Stefatou has exhibited her work at Doha Fire Station art space (QA), Los Angeles Month of Photography, Head On (AU), Les Boutographies (FR) and Gallery Negpos (FR) among others.

Some of her major projects include the long-term series Red Ruby in Myanmar, while in 2015 she participated in the pioneering Solar Impulse mission – the first-time attempt to circumnavigate the world using only solar power. Stefatou has travelled worldwide and extensively in Asia, producing photography and video on social and humanitarian issues. She has a extensive experience in photojournalism, collaborating with international media such as Der Spiegel, Die Zeit, The Economist, NBC News and Vanity Fair among others.

Stefatou is the creative director of Saristra Festival Arts, a festival celebrating music and arts on Cephalonia Island, Greece.

She studied photography at the Technological Educational Institute of Athens and in 2012 she earned her Master’s degree in Multimedia Journalism from the University of Bolton, UK, while being based in Beijing, China. 

Solo shows

  • 2020  Chrysalis, Aga Khan Museum (Toronto, CA)
  • 2020  Relative Dating, Tyrvee Gallery (Messolonghi, GR)
  • 2020  Chrysalis, Doha Fire Station contemporary art space (Doha, QA)
  • 2017  Relative Dating, Photoeil prize, NegPos Gallery (Nîmes, FR)
  • 2016  Relative Dating, Rencontres Cinématographiques (Cerbère,FR)

Selected group exhibitions

  • 2020  Arab Bedouin, No future without past, Oxo Tower Wharf (London, UK)
  • 2019  Analogue Portrait Project, Month of Photography Los Angeles (USA)
  • 2019  Portrait Prize winners and finalists, Head On Photo Festival (Sydney, AU)
  • 2019  Depression Era collective, Slought (Philadelphia, USA)
  • 2018  Solar Impulse, the historical flight, Adventure Film Festival (Athens, GR)
  • 2017  Relative Dating, Boutographies Festival (Montpellier, FR)
  • 2015  Depression Era collective, Biennale of Contemporary Art (Thessaloniki, GR)
  • 2015  Rania, Break the Chain festival (Athens, GR)
  • 2014  Cast in the wind / Depression Era collective, Benaki Museum (Athens, GR)
  • 2014  Women in Asia, JeonJun photo festival (Seoul-KR)
  • 2013  Connecting people,  Cervantes Institute (Athens-GR)
  • 2012  Silent Crossing, Multimedia art festival (Yangon, MM)
  • 2012  Through Waters, (Tianjin, Chongqing, CN)
  • 2010  Locus Loci, Photobiennale Festival (Thessaloniki, GR)
  • 2010  Make History, Lee (Modena, IT)
  • 2004  Prestige, Photosyngiria Festival (Thessaloniki, GR)

Awards

  • Head On Photo Portrait Prize, “Mahboubeh/Chrysalis”, Finalist 2019
  • 12th Julia Margaret Cameron, “Chrysalis”, Awardee 2018
  • Photoeil award, “Relative Dating”, First prize 2016
  • Summer Davos debates, “Feng Yuan / Parched Homes”, Finalist 2012
  • One World Media Awards, “Parched Homes”, Shortlisted 2012

Teaching

  • 2010-2011 Photography lessons to the employees of Procter & Gamble Company (Athens, GR)
  • 2009-2010 Photography lessons to people with mental disabilities at the Social Association ‘Ef Zin’ (Athens, GR)

Clients

Qatar Museums (QA) • Solar Impulse (CH) • Der Spiegel (DE) • Die Zeit (DE) • Amnesty International (UK) • NBC News (US) • Le Monde Diplomatique (FR) • The Economist (GB) • Girlgaze (USA) • Global Post (US) • Vanity Fair (FR) • World Press Photo (NL) • Dove (USA) • WWF (GR) • Action Aid (GR) • Forest Troop (GR) • Ν-Coded pictures (US)