CANSU YILDIRAN (1996) lives and works in İstanbul.

They are a visual artist whose work explores the idea of 'home' through personal and collective stories. Drawing on their own experiences, they document and stage non-normative narratives, often shaped by themes of identity, memory, and community.

They had their first solo exhibition 'Blossoms of Farewell' at Hara, İstanbul in 2024 followed by 'Haunt the Present' at the Arts Center at Governor's Island, NYC and 'Shelter' at Kunstaum Remise, Bludenz in the same year.

Their works have been exhibited at FOAM, Amsterdam (2024); Verzasca Foto Festival (2023); Pinakothek der Moderne, München (2023); Pera Museum, İstanbul (2022); Apartman, İstanbul (2021); Protocinema - Poşe Gallery, İstanbul (2021); The International Queer - Minorities Film Festival, Vienna (2020); Verzasca Foto Festival Awards, Switzerland (2020); Heidelberg Queer Art Festival, Heidelberg (2019); Elgiz Museum, İstanbul (2018); Leica Gallery, İstanbul (2018); Voies Off, Arles (2018) and Daire Sanat, İstanbul (2018) among many others.

Their works have been published in Visa pour I’image, Photography Festival (Visa Woman Paper), Aperture, British Journal of Photography, Dazed Magazine, Washington Post, and The Guardian.

They are one of the twenty exceptional artists featured in the Foam Talent 2024–2025 group exhibition and the corresponding issue of Foam Magazine Talent 2024–2025. In 2024, they were nominated for the Magnum Photos and Counter Histories Fellowship. Previous accolades include the Women Photograph Project Grant in 2022 and first place in the Resistance category of the All Out Photo Award in 2021. They were also nominated for the Foam Paul Huf Award in 2023 and shortlisted for the PhMuseum Photography Grant main prize in 2021 and ICP/GOST First Photo Book Award in 2020. In 2018, they were selected for the World Press Photo Joop Swart Masterclass.

They participated in a photobook workshop with Kazuma Obara in 2018 and another with Calin Kruse in 2017. They received a one-year Women Photograph mentorship from Nicole Tung in 2018–2019. Additionally, they attended the Nikon-NOOR Academy Masterclass in 2021 and took part in the Transformative Art Project for Activists residency in 2020.

They are a member of Women Photograph and an affiliate of PLATFORM by GAPO.

cansuyildiran.com