Jelena Jankovic is a photographer from Belgrade with a strong artistic vision who creates and works in the wider area of the Balkan. Through his work, she explores human nature and psychological aspects of relationships through a wide spectrum of photographic genres - from documentary, theater, fashion, and portrait to experimental photography, combining different techniques and media. Her projects are created by researching people, movements, and emotions through a subjective approach to the topic she works on.

In 2018, she published her first photo monograph "Kolo: 70 years later" in which she explores and presents traditional dances in a contemporary and innovative way. Her approach and important body of work influenced a change in the visual interpretation of traditional dance in the entire region.

She is credited with photographing over 200 theater productions across Europe. She is one of the leading artists who, with her strong signature style, has been exploring and capturing the life of the theater for 12 years. She has collaborated with the most renowned European directors, choreographers, dancers, and actors.

In 2023, she started working as the program director of the Sarajevo Photography Festival and teaches photography at Algebra University in Zagreb. Jelena is a member of the Space Shuttle art collective in Zagreb.

Her work has been published in renowned publications such as Rolling Stone, National Geographic, Fisheye Magazine, Der Spiegel, Professional Photographer, ELLE, KOSMOS, fotoMAGAZINE, LensCulture, GEO, Vice, F-stop magazine...

She exhibited all over the world from Paris, Moscow, Ciudad de México, Istanbul, Berlin, Tokyo, London, Kuala Lumpur, Tbilisi, Siena, Belgrade, Zagreb... and for her work, she received numerous significant international awards.

Represented by i noor gallery from Stockholm, Sweden

AWARDS

2023
• 68th Sterijino Pozorje – Silver Medal for Theater Photography

2021
• Florida Museum of Photographic Arts – First Prize, Portraits

2020
• Sony World Photography Awards – Winner, Serbia National Award

2019
• IPA – International Photography Awards, New York City
• Portrait of Humanity – Shortlisted (50 winning images)
• Kolga Tbilisi Photo – First Prize, Georgia
• Tokyo International Photo Award – Gold Winner, Japan

2018
• The Independent Photographer – Finalist
• Moscow International Photo Awards – Bronze Award
• Kolga Tbilisi Photo – Finalist, Georgia

2017
• Andrei Stenin International Press Photo Contest – First Prize, Russia
• Balkan Photo Awards – First Prize and Festival Grand Prix
• Siena International Photo Awards – Second Prize, Italy
• Moscow International Photo Awards – Silver Award
• ND Photography Awards – 3rd Place, London
• 5th Eros Awards – 3rd Place, International Photography and Art Community
• Travel Photographer Society – Finalist (Moment Category), Kuala Lumpur
• Rovinj Photodays – Second Prize, International Competition of Contemporary Photography
• Sony World Photography Awards – Finalist and Winner, Serbia National Award

2015
• Rovinj Photodays – First Prize, International Competition of Contemporary Photography, Croatia

2013
• The Photographic Angle – First Prize, Portrait Category, FACES Competition, UK
• Night of Museums, Serbia – First Prize for Art Photography, Documentary Category

2011
• Sterijino Pozorje – FIAP Plate for Theater Photography, Serbia

2010
• Night of Museums, Serbia – First Prize for Art Photography, Documentary Category

EXHIBITIONS & FESTIVALS

2024
• Solo Exhibition – 8th Floor, Museum of Contemporary Art Zagreb
• Group Exhibition – I norr art, Stockholm, Sweden
• Group Exhibition – Gallery Kranjčar, Zagreb
• Group Exhibition – Belgrade City Museum

2023
• Group Exhibition – Gallery Kranjčar, Zagreb
• Group Exhibition – Theater in Photographic Art, 68th Sterijino Pozorje, Novi Sad
• Annual Exhibition – ULUPUDS Artistic Photography Section, Gallery ŠTAB, Belgrade
• Solo Exhibition – ZEITGEIST, Santa Maria Gallery, Budva

2022
• Perspectives: Photography Storytelling – PARCEL110, George Town, Cayman Islands

2021
• Florida Museum of Photographic Arts (FMoPA), USA
• PH21 Gallery – Body Space, Budapest
• Studio106LA – Awareness Project, Online Exhibition

2020
• Solo Exhibition – 8th Floor, Botaničar, Zagreb
• ORGAN VIDA – Portrait of Humanity, Zagreb

2019
• ImageNation Paris – Paris Photo Off, Galerie Joseph, Paris
• Both There and Here – KCB, The Art Gallery, Belgrade
• The Independent Photographer – Best of the Year 2018/19, CLB Berlin
• Perspectives: Photography Storytelling, Rich Mix, London
• Portrait of Humanity – National Centre for Photography, Ballarat, Australia
• Portrait of Humanity – LagosPhoto Festival, Nigeria
• Portrait of Humanity – Louisiana State Museum, PhotoNOLA Festival, USA
• Kolga Tbilisi Photo Festival, Georgia
• Art Gallery, Cultural Centre of Belgrade
• Izidor Kršnjavi Exhibition Hall, Zagreb

2018
• White Box Gallery, Kuala Lumpur
• CIPAF – International Art Photography Festival, Zhengzhou, China
• Kolga Tbilisi Photo Festival, Georgia
• Balkan Trafik Festival, Brussels
• May Exhibition – ULUPUDS, Belgrade

2017
• Sony World Photography Awards – Somerset House, London
• Siena International Photo Awards – Siena, Italy
• Andrei Stenin Award – Lumiere Brothers Centre of Photography, Moscow
• Balkan Photo Festival – Embaixada do Porto, Portugal & Sarajevo
• Rovinj Photodays – Museum of Arts and Crafts, Zagreb
• Gallery O3ONE – Square, Belgrade

2016
• Gallery ŠTAB, Belgrade
• 52 Weeks – Museum of Contemporary Art Zagreb
• Gallery Decumanus, Krk, Croatia
• Izidor Kršnjavi Exhibition Hall, Zagreb

2015
• Rovinj Photodays – Museum of Arts and Crafts, Zagreb
• Rovinj Photodays – County Museum, Rovinj

2014
• Don't Bother to Knock – New Wave Project, Supermarket Concept Store, Belgrade

2013
• Theater in Photographic Art – Sterijino Pozorje, Novi Sad
• Values – Gallery of the Platon of SASA, Novi Sad

2012
• Bitef – French Cultural Center, Belgrade
• Gallery O3ONE, Belgrade

2011
• Theater in Photographic Art – Novi Sad

2010
• My Planet – Gallery Cellar, Novi Sad