Alejandra Carles-Tolra is a photographer and educator from Barcelona currently based in London.
Her work has been published and exhibited internationally, most recently at The Guardian, Broadly Vice, The Huffington Post, Gup Magazine, World Photography Organization, The Independent, Circulation(s) Festival in Paris, and Jerwood Space in London. She was a 2017 Jerwood Visual Arts / Photoworks awardee and her new work, Where We Belong, is currently on tour in the UK.
She has taught photography at The University of New Hampshire and Massachusetts College of Art and Design, among other institutions, and she currently collaborates with nonprofit organizations as an art workshop facilitator using art and education to empower vulnerable communities.
Available for Commissions. Print Sales contact: info@alejandractr.com
EDUCATION
2013 - MFA, Photography, Massachusetts College of Art and Design, Boston, MA
2010 - BA, Sociology, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
EXHIBITIONS
Upcoming
Unseen Festival, Futures, Outdoors installation, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize, National Portrait Gallery, London, UK
The Bears, Solo Exhibition, Fifty Dots Gallery, Barcelona, Spain
2018
Sisterhood and Gentle Men, 'The Bears', Forum Statdpark, Graz, Austria
Family of No Man, Group Exhibition curated by Cosmos, Arles, France
PhotoEspaña, 'Where We Belong' screening, Futures Photography, Jardín Botánico, Madrid, Spain
Transeúntes, Fifty Dots Gallery, Voies Off Festival, Arles, France
SKG Bridge Festival, ‘Where We Belong’ screening, Curated by Thessaloniki Museum of Photography, Greece
PhotoEast Festival, ‘Where We Belong’, Curated by Emma Bowkett and Josh Lustig, Ipswich, UK
Jerwood/ Photoworks Awards, Where We Belong series, UK
Jerwood Space, London, England
Impressions Gallery, Bradford, England
Belfast Exposed, Belfast, North Ireland
2017
Saving Face, La Photographie Marseille, Retine Argentique, Marseille, France
On Drawing: Apperceive of Liberation, Curated by Lu Mingjun, Wuhan Art Museum, Wuhan, China
No Words Exhibition, Sala Gaudia, Huelva, Spain
2016
Photo-Open, Photomonth East London Photo Festival, Curated by Alternative Arts, Rich Mix Gallery, London, UK
Prix Maison Blanche, Photographie Marseille Festival, Marseille, France
Renaissance Photography Awards, Getty Images Gallery, London, UK
Festival Circulation(s), Curated by FETART, Centquatre, Paris, France
PhotoEspaña Fesival OFF, Galeria BAT, No Words Group Exhibition, Madrid, Spain
Festival PA-TA-TA, "The Bears" installation outdoors, Granada, Spain
RATP, "The Bears" installation in various metro stations, Circulation(s) Festival Selection, Paris, France
Face It, Group exhibition, Curated by Lynn H Whitney
Bowling Green State University, Ohio // Reece Museum, East Tennessee State University, Tennessee, USA
Festival Imaginaria, Museu de Belles Arts Castelló, Valencia, Spain // Segovia Foto, Sala Alhondiga, Segovia, Spain
2015
The Gun Show, Curated by Maja Orsic (Director of the Robert Klein Gallery), Flash Forward Festival, Boston, USA
The Bears, Solo Exhibition, Visting Artist, The Chazan Family Gallery, Rhode Island College, USA
Nueva Fotografia Internacional en el S.XXI
Centro Municipal de las Artes de Alcobendas, Madrid, Spain
Sala José Saramago de Leganés, Madrid, Spain
Centro Municipal de las Artes de Alcorcón, Madrid, Spain
Open Call NNE (North NorthEast), Juried by Richard Klein (Exhibition Director at Aldrich Museum of Contemporary Art), Brattleboro Museum & Art Center, Vermont, USA
2014
Documentary: The 19th Annual Exhibition, Juried by Whitney Johnson (Deputy Director at National Geographic), Photographic Center NW, Seattle, USA
Photoworld, New York Photo Awards, Juried Exhibition Powerhouse Gallery, Brooklyn, NY, USA
Griffin Museum’s 20th Juried Show, Virtual Gallery Juried by Aline Smithson, founder of Lenscratch Griffin Museum of Photography, Winchester, USA
Emerging Artists Auction, Juried Auction Daniel Cooney Fine Arts Gallery, New York, USA
TEDx Somerville, Movement, Juried Exhibition Brooklyn Boulders, Somerville, USA
Fall In, Solo Exhibition, Biennial of Young Artists Winner Fine Arts Academy Sabadell, Barcelona, Spain
New York Photo Awards Winners, Juried Exhibition Powerhouse Gallery, Brooklyn, USA
2013
Realidad y Emoción Exhibition, Valid Foto BCN Gallery, Barcelona, Spain
Carousel IV, Juried Exhibition, Aviary Gallery, Jamaica Plain, Boston, USA
OFNI Exhibition and Auction, Valid Foto BCN Gallery, Barcelona, Spain
ARTcetera Art Auction, Juried Biennial Auction The Park Plaza Castle, Boston, USA
New England Collective, Juried Exhibition Galatea Fine Art Gallery, Boston, USA
Biennal D’Art Jove, Juried ExhibitionFine Arts Academy Sabadell, Barcelona, Spain
Boston Young Contemporaries 2013, Juried Exhibition 808 Commonwealth Gallery, Boston University, Boston, USA
MFA Thesis Exhibition, Curated by Lisa Tung Paine and Bakalar Gallery, Boston, USA
Onward Compe, Juried Exhibition, Onward Summit Festival, Project Basho Gallery, Philadelphia, USA
PRC Annual Student Show, Juried Exhibition Photographic Resource Center, Boston, USA
24th Annual MassArt Benefit Art Auction, Juried Exhibition Paine & Bakalar Gallery, Boston, USA
Collect The World, Juried Exhibition Valid Foto BCN Gallery, Spain
2012
The Fence, Juried Exhibition Photoville Festival, New York City, NY, USA
Boston Young Contemporaries 2012, Juried Exhibition 808 Commonwealth Gallery, Boston University, Boston, USA
We Don’t Belong Here, Solo Show, Juried Exhibition, Sparring Windows Gallery, The Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, USA
2011
Powderhouse Photography Show, Juried Exhibition The Powderhouse Gallery, Sommerville, USA
Selfportraits Show, Juried Exhibition,11th Photographic Forum Can Basté, Barcelona, Spain
AWARDS
2018
Futures Photography, Selected by PhotoEspaña2017
Flash Forward Festival, UK Winners
Jerwood Visual Arts/ Photoworks Grant, Support and mentorship to produce new work, London
2016
Renaissance Photography Awards, Finalist - Single Image (The Bears series)
Festival Pa-ta-ta, Jury’s Honorable Mention for ¨The Bears¨ series
2015
Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition, Semifinalist, National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, DC
Athens Photo Festival, Semifinalist, Main Exhibition, Athens, Greece
New York Times Portfolio Review, Selected Portfolio, NYC
Fotofestiwal Grand Prix, Shortlisted Finalist, Collective Jury, Lodz, Poland
Joop Swart Masterclass, World Press Photo, Nominated Portfolio, Amsterdam
2014
Documentary: The 19th Annual Exhibition, 1st Prize Winner, Award given by Whitney Johnson, Deputy Director at National Geographic. Photographic Center NW, Seattle, WA
New York Photo Awards, Documentary: Single Image Professional Category
2013
Biennal for Young Artists, 2nd Prize Winner Fine Arts Academy of Sabadell, Barcelona, Spain
New York Photo Awards, Fine Art: Single Image Student Category Award
Descubrimientos PHE 2013 Finalist, PhotoEspaña Festival, Madrid, Spain
21 New & Emerging Photographers, Curated by Jim Casper, Lens Culture
Creative Quarterly, Photography Runner Up Issue #30
2012
International Fine Art Photography Award, Juror Award of Merit 2012 Grand Prix de la Decouverte, France
Hey Hot Shot! Contender Jen Beckman Project
JGS Quarterly Photography Contest, Runner Up Forward Thinking Museum
CCNY 2012 Annual Juried Photography Exhibition, Honorable Mention The Camera Club of New York, NYC
Combat Prize Catalogue 2012, Recommended Artist Livorno, Italy
2011
Family Dynamics Exhibition, Honorable Mention, The Kiernan Gallery, VA
Sociological Research Seminar, 1st Prize, The UB’s Manual Workers Photographic Project, Universitat de Barcelona, Spain
Can Basté Grant, Finalist11th Forum Fotográfico, Barcelona, Spain
Foto Maratón Fnac, 5th Prize Barcelona, Spain
2010
Carnet Jove Grant, Finalist,Generalitat de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain
PUBLICATIONS
The Guardian, Regency rendezvous: inside the world of Jane Austen fandom
British Journal of Photography, PhotoEast festival puts Suffolk on the map for photography
Arts Council Collection, 2017/2018 Acquisitions
T Magazine, NY Times Spain, 5 Mujeres Artistas Que Triunfan Fuera, February Issue #10
This Is Tomorrow, Jerwood/Photoworks Awards
Royal Photographic Society, A Showcase of Talent
Elephant Magazine, Jerwood/Photoworks: Melancholy and Janeites
British Journal of Photography, Ribeira, Laughlin, and Carles-Tolra show new work in Jerwood/Photoworks Awards
CiliChili Magazine, The Bears Portfolio, Czech Republic
PhotoWorld Magazine, Focus on multiple identities, ROTC Portfolio, China
Victory Journal, Odyssey Issue #12, The Bears Portfolio, USA
Vice Magazine - Broadly Channel, The Guts and the Glory of Being on an All-Female Sports Team
GUP Magazine, #50 Hidden Gems, The Bears Portfolio, The Netherlands
The Independent, Women's varsity rugby: Getting up close with The Bears, UK
L’Oeil de la Photographie, Circulation(s) 2016: Interview with Alejandra Carles-Tolra, France
Lensculture, Video Interview with Alejandra Carles-Tolra - The Bears: Up close with women's Rugby
i-D Vice Magazine, 5 young european photographers to follow
It’s Nice That, Alejandra Carles-Tolra captures a women’s rugby team from all angles
Time Out Madrid, PhotoEspaña 2016: Exposiciones Imprescindibles, No Words Exhibition
Revista Arte, Fotógrafos del grupo Contemporáneos en el Festival Off de PHotoEspaña 2016
Arte A Un Click, Saving Face Portfolio
World Photography Organization, As Playful As A Game, Interview and The Bears Portfolio
La Fabrica Editorial, Contemporaries. 30 Photographers Of Today (Book), PhotoBook Week, PhotoEspaña Festival
Slate, What Life Is Like On Brown Univeristy's All-Female Rugby Team by David Rosenberg, The Bears Portfolio
The Huffington Post,Powerful Photo Series Shows What It's Like To Be A Rugby Girl, The Bears Portfolio
BuzzFeed News, This Photographer Capture What It's Like To Be A Woman In A Male-Dominated Sport
Cosmopolitan, 18 Badass Portraits of Female Rugby Players Defying Gender Stereotypes, The Bears Portfolio
Fotografia Magazine, Women's Rugby - An Interview With Alejandra Carles-Tolra, The Bears Portfolio
0034 Codigo Expat, Un Skype con Alejandra Carles-Tolra, Interview
Il Post, Ritratti di rugbiste, The Bears Portfolio
Feature Shoot, Powerful portraits of female rugby players defy gender stereotypes, The Bears Portfolio
Bust Magazine, The Female Rugby Players Of Brown University Are Badass Gender Barrier Busting Athletes, The Bears Portfolio
Gup Magazine, The Bears Portfolio
Juxtapoz Magazine, Alejandra Carles-Tolra's “The Bears” @The Chazan Family Gallery, Photography section
The Brown Daily Herald, Photographer captures intersections of violence, grace in women’s rugby, Art and Culture Section
Artscope Magazine, The Bears at Chazan Family Gallery, Email blast
CNN Photos, Study and serve: The dual identity of the ROTC, Fall In Portfolio
Lens Culture, Fall In, Editor’s Pick Portfolio
Diari de Sabadell, Guanyadors de la Biennal D’Art Jove, Barcelona
Onward Photo Blog, Interview with Alejandra CarlesTolra
Photographic Museum of Photography, Highlights Gallery, Fall In Portfolio
La Vanguardia, Cinco Visiones Fotográfica, Barcelona
Tendencias del Mercado del Arte, Realidad y Emoción Exposición, October #66
La Vanguardia, Valid Foto BCN abre temporada presentando a cinco fotografos noveles.
Barcelona Photobloggers, Exposicion Realidad y Emoción
iSabadell, L'Academia de Belles Arts recupera la Biennal d'Art Jove, September 5th
Huffington Post, 3 Steps to Starting a Great Research Project, Voices: College, Svetlana Dotsenko, August 2nd
Loupe Magazine, Public Art: It’s History and Reach, Vol.3/ June, PRC
Ojo de Pez Magazine, Portfolio PHE, Issue #29 Girls, Madrid, Spain
LECTURES
London College of Communication, Visiting Artist, Photography department, London, UK
University of Portsmouth, Visiting Artist, Photography department, Portsmouth, UK
Rhode Island School of Design , Visiting Artist, Photography department, Providence, RI
Rhode Island College, Visiting Artist, Art department, Providence, RI
AS220,Visiting Artist, AS220 Arts Center, Providence, RI
Massachusetts College of Art and Design, Visiting Critic, Photography Department, Boston, MA
University of New Hampshire, Visiting Artist Lecture, Paul Creative Arts Center, Durham, NH.
Universitat de Barcelona, Visiting Artist Lecture, Sociology Department, Barcelona, Spain