Olivia Fernandez is a French photographer and visual storyteller born in Bordeaux, France. In 2015 she quit her corporate life to pursue photography. She studied at the International Center of Photography (ICP) in New York City, where she graduated from both the Creative Practices program and the Documentary Photography and Visual Journalism program. Her work, which often explores themes of mental health, loss, and addiction, has received wide recognition. She was awarded the PDN EDU Student Contest in the Landscape category and has earned honorable mentions in several international competitions. In 2021, she became the recipient of the Hillman Foundation Grant, and in 2022 she was a finalist at the Les Nuits Photo Film Festival in Paris. Olivia’s photographs and projects have been featured in numerous publications and exhibitions, including Edge of Humanity, FotoNostrum, Bird in Flight, F-Stop, Humble Arts Foundation, The Vermont Center of Photography, PH21 Gallery, The International Center of Photography, and Fotogalerie Friedrichshain.
In 2018, she developed a deeply personal photography project documenting the stories of girls in New York City who had attempted suicide. This project expanded into a short documentary film and culminated in an event featuring a panel discussion with mental health specialists, highlighting her commitment to social engagement through art. Now based in Berlin, Olivia continues to pursue long-term projects addressing the complexities of mental health, grief, and addiction. Alongside her artistic practice, she organizes community events dedicated to mental healing, creating spaces where art and dialogue intersect as tools for resilience and recovery. She spent two years in 2023 & 2024 studying trauma and neurobiology.
AWARDS
2022 LES NUITS PHOTO - Finalist for You Will Miss Sunrise if You Close Your Eyes (Still Image Film)
2021 Hillman Foundation Grant - Recipient for You Will Miss Sunrise if You Close Your Eyes
2021 British journal of Photography Edition365 - Winner
2021 Julia Margaret Cameron Award - Honorable Mention
2021 FotoNostrum lockdown competition - Finalist
2021 RPS International Photography Exhibition - Shortlist
2018 PDN EDU - Winner in the landscape category, Alone in Silence
2018 International Photography Awards - Honorable Mention in the Deeper Perspective category, Expired Life
2018 International Monochrome Awards - Honorable Mention, Alone in Silence
2018 Analog Photographique Awards - Shortlist winner, Alone in Silence
2017 Life Framer - Honorable Mention in Open Call, Alone in Silence
EXHIBITIONS & PUBLICATIONS
2025 Show & Tell presentation, “Under the Rug” exhibition, Fotogalerie Friedrichshain, Berlin, Germany
2025 Leica Exhibition “A Unique Perspective”, The Palais de Tokyo, Paris, France
2025 F-Stop Magazine, Into the Night
2023 You Will Miss Sunrise if You Close Your Eyes film projection & conversation around mental healing, Berlin, Germany
2022 Book Anthology for Unseen
2022 Group Exhibition, Carry My Heart, Too Tired Project
2022 3rd Barcelona Foto Biennale, FotoNostrum Mediterranean House of Photography
2021 Solo Exhibition and Panel Talks, Berlin Mental Health Festival, Berlin, Germany
2021 New Art City Exhibition
2021 The Art of Photography, PH21 Gallery, Barcelona, Spain
2021 Stories: Narrative Photography, PH21 Gallery, Budapest, Hungary
2021 Edge of Humanity magazine
2021 Analog Forever Noir online exhibition
2021 Bird in Flight magazine
2020 ICPConcerned: Global Images for Global Crisis, International Center of Photography, NY
2020 The View From Here online gallery through Don’t Take Pictures magazine
2020 F-Stop magazine online group show, documentary work 2020
2019 TooTiredProject show on depression at the Vermont Center for Photography
2019 Humble Arts Foundation online show on loss
2018 Break the Silence public exhibition and panel discussion on mental health, Brooklyn, NY
2018 Signal Crossings group exhibition, International Center of Photography, NY
2017 Hidden Narratives group exhibition, International Center of Photography, NY