Born in 1985 in Rydułtowy, Poland. Daughter of a coal miner.
Member of Napo Images Agency.
Most of her long-term projects explore the aftermath of loss, memory, identity and social change. Drawing from her own experiences, she creates documentary and research-based photographic projects that reflect on the ways people cope with absence and transformation. These include Self-portrait with My Mother, Lost, Reborn, and Little Poland.
Her work has received numerous national and international awards, including the Second Prize in the Long-Term Projects category at World Press Photo 2021 for Reborn. She is also a recipient of the Magnum & IdeasTap Photography Award and completed an internship at Magnum Photos in New York.
Karolina Jonderko is an award-winning photographer with a Master's degree in Photography from the Polish National Film, Television and Theatre School in Łódź. She is currently a PhD candidate at the Doctoral School of the University of the National Education Commission, Kraków (UKEN), where her artistic research focuses on photography as a research practice and a tool for constructing cultural memory.
Based in Poland, she works on long-term documentary and artistic projects both nationally and internationally.
Photography competitions
World Press Photo / 2 place / Long term projects / Reborn / Amsterdam / 2021
Reborn / Lumix festival for young photojournalism / Hannover / Germany / 2018 Festival de photo MAP Toulouse / Winner / Toulouse / France / 2017 BZWBK Press Photo / II place / category: people / Warsaw / Poland / 2017 Grand Press Photo / II place / category: documentary project / Warsaw / Poland / 2017 Grand Press Photo / I place / category: daily life / Warsaw / Poland /2016 Tiff x FFP Photobook Dummy Review / winner / Wroclaw / Poland / 2016 Rock Your Dummy!photobook competition / finalist /Le PhotobookFest / France / 2015 Ideas Tap & Magnum Photos Award / Winner / category 26+ / UK / 2015
International Photography Awards / finalist / New York / USA (2013)
Luceo Student Award / finalist / New York / USA /2013
Photo Annual Awards / III place / Prague / Czech Republic /2013
Foto Visura Spotlight Grant / III place / New York / USA /2013
Lucie Foundation Emerging Scholarship Program / finalist / LA / USA /2013
Grand Press Photo / I place / category: people / Warsaw / Poland /2013
One Eyeland Photography Award / Silver certificate/ Chennai / India /2012
Prix de la Photographie / honorable mention / Paris / France /2012
International Photography Awards (IPA) / Two honorable mentions / USA / 2012
The MAP Toulouse Festival 2012 / finalist / Toulouse / France / 2012
XI National photography contest Portret / I place / Kolo / Poland / 2012
Young man in the 21st century photography contest / I place / Kaunas / Lithuania / 2010
IX National photography contest Portret / I place / Kolo / Poland / 2010
Solo exhibitions
Just like Us / collaboration with Itaka Foudation / Warsaw / 2020 Lost / Galeria Ostroleka / Ostoleka /Poland /2015 Lost / Imaginarium Gallery / Lodz Fotofestiwal/ Lodz / Poland / 2015 Self-portrait with my mother / Gallery 13 / Pszczyna / Poland / 2013
Lost / EL Gallery / Elblag / Poland / 2013
Lost / Skwer / Warsaw / Poland / 2013
Self-portrait with my mother / Swiatowid Gallery / Elbląg / Poland / 2013
Self-portrait with my mother / Bunkier Sztuki / Krakow / Poland /2012
Silesian Funfair / Zamosc / Poland / 2011
(Un)usual weeding fashion show / Jaroslaw / Poland / 2011
Group exhibitions
World Press Photo 2021
Little Poland / Features / Unseen festival / Amsterdam / NL / 2018 Reborn / The Royal Photographic Society’s International Photography Exhibition/ London / UK / 2018 Reborn / Festival de photo MAP Toulouse / France / 2017 Lost / Offoto / Opole / Poland / 2016 Lost / Landskrona Foto / Sweden / 2016 If I lay here / Poznan Photography Biennale/ Poznan / 2015 Absolute Resolution: A Participatory Photography Exhibition / San Antonio / USA / 2015
ROOTS & FRUITS / Tiff Fotofestiwal / Wroclaw / Poland / 2015
Ideas Tap & Magnum Photos Award / Dray Walk Gallery / London / UK /2015
Ideas Tap & Magnum Photos Award / Shop 12 / The Old Truman Brewery / London/ UK / 2014
Marked Places / Warsaw Photography Festival / ZPAF Gallery / Poland / 2014
Future Condition / Photokina Academy / Cologne / Germany / 2014
Lost / Circulation(s) Festival / CENTQUATRE / Paris / France / 2014
Lost / Noorderlicht Festival / Holland / 2013
Lost / Teplice / Czech Republic / 2013
Dyspnea / Porto / Portugal / 2011
Publications
The Washington Post / Die Zeit / Der Spiegel / The Wall Street Journal / The New York Times /De Volkskrant/ British Journal of Photography / The Guardian / The Huffington Post / Der Greif / Wysokie Obcasy / Gazeta Wyborcza / Polityka
Workshops
XXXI Eddie Adams Workshop /Jeffersonville / New York / USA 2018 Noor-Nikon Masterclass / Warsaw / Poland / 2018 Joop Swart Masterclass participant/ Amsterdam / Netherlands / 2016 Magnum Masterclass with Alex Webb & Rebecca Norris Webb / Lodz / Poland / 2014 Magnum Professional Practice / London / UK / 2014
Workshops with Greg Marinovich / Krakow / Poland / 2013
Seminars Polska.doc / Warsaw / Poland / 2011
Workshops with Sputnik Photos / Warsaw / Poland / 2011
International photography workshops / Kaunas / Lithuania / 2011
Internships
Magnum Photos / New York / USA / 2015