Joanna Szproch, born in Warsaw (14.06.1979), is a Berlin-based mother, visual artist, art mediator, and activist. Her projects create a universe of fantasy that explores female sensuality, autonomy, and joy through photography, performance, text, drawing, and objects. Ordinary acts such as play, curiosity, and ritual serve as tools of creative dissent against the objectifying gaze.
Artist Statement
My work explores human experience through the female body, highlighting its complexity and wholeness. I work primarily with analog photography, self-portraiture, and biographical projects, blending them with performance, drawing, writing, objects, and archival materials. Through art books, installations, and participatory projects, I develop practices that embrace life in its totality. They support women’s self-determination, oppose martyrdom, encourage fearless experimentation, and unapologetic self-expression.
Color is central to my practice, as a sensory connector that anchors beauty and feeling. I prioritize the female gaze over objectification, blending childlike curiosity with mature libido, highlighting joy and awe from embodied and transcendent encounters. My images inhabit a liminal space between the potent and the wise, the tender and the brave—blurring the boundaries of artist and muse, document and spectacle. Relationality extends beyond the interpersonal to form a network among images, objects, and bodies—carriers of memory and affect —creating meaning through their juxtaposition.
I see art as a sister to freedom and a search for élan vital—a vital force restricted by patriarchy. My work emphasizes that joy, play, and wonder are vital to human well-being yet are often denied to women, who are expected to nurture everyone but themselves. Healing starts from within, and becoming self-aware is a radical act. For me, fantasy is a playful way to resist oppressive systems and an avenue for subjective photography as a form of dissent.
Education
Women’s Empowerment through Art and Political Education, Schillerwerkstatt e.V., Spore, Berlin, DE
Mentoring Program with Ann Shelton, Centre Photographie Genève, Geneva, CH
Certificate Program on "Artistic Research in the Context of Local History and Culture of Remembrance" in cooperation with WeTeK gGmbH and SFBB, Berlin, DE
One Year Certificate Program on "Cultural Education Professional Development" at WeTeK Berlin gGmbH in cooperation with SFBB, Alice Salomon University of Applied Sciences, Berlin, DE
M.A. in Graphic Arts, Academy of Fine Arts, Łódź, PL Major in Photography under Prof. Grzegorz Przyborek; Minor in Woodcut and Art Book Techniques under Prof. Andrzej Bartczak
Solo Exhibitions
Alltagsfantasie, Solo Exhibition, Feelings and Photography Open Call, Photoszene Köln, DE
Wahre Liebe Tut Niemals Weh, Solo Exhibition, Rathaus Neukölln, Berlin, DE
“@smilefomedaddy” - A Solo Exhibition, 317/84 Studio, Berlin, DE
“@smilefomedaddy” - A Pop Up Exhibition + Artist Talk, GlogauAir, Berlin, DE
“@smilefomedaddy” - A Solo Exhibition, Weserhalle, Berlin, DE
“Life is not a gif” - A One Day Show, Caffè Internazionale, Palermo, IT
“Dreams Come True” - A One Day Show, Balera, Berlin, DE
“My Vagina Has Many Fans...” - A One Day Show, Del Rex, Berlin, DE
“Side Effects Of Too Much Tumblr” - A One Day Show, Untertitel, Berlin, DE
“Warsaw Joy Star System” - A Solo Exhibition in “Likus” Gallery, Warsaw, PL
“Lena - Little Princess” - A Solo Exhibition in “Przeciag” Gallery, Warsaw, PL
“First Retrospective” - A Solo Exhibition in “Enklawa” Klub, Warsaw, PL
”My Mythology” - A Solo Exhibition in “Melon” Gallery, Warsaw, PL
Group Exhibitions
Art and Cooperation in Gropiusstadt, Bauhaus Archive/Gropiusstadt Neighborhood Center, Berlin, DE
International Photography and Media Art Festival, Group Exhibition, Kaunas, LT
Not Your Choice!, Group Exhibition, A.K.T., Pforzheim, DE
Traces of Solidarity, Group Exhibition, Grolman Gallery, Berlin, DE
Badass, FLINTA Self-Organized Pop-Uo Show, Berlin, DE
“Rebounder” - A Group Exhibition with ArtConnect artists, Her, Berlin, DE
A Slideshow Presentation of 15 shortlisted finalists at Photofestival Tiff, Wroclaw, PL
“Exposure - Art Auction” - A Group Exhibition, Weserhalle, Berlin, DE
“Porn Forest by Pornceptual” A Wall-sized Collage for the Installation Room by Curated By Girls, Alte Münze, Berlin, DE
“New Feminity 3” - A Group Exhibition by Curated By Girls, Melkweg Expo, Amsterdam, NL
“Sync, Psych, Self (sic)” - The Self Portrait Group Exhibition, F.K.Kollektiv, Berlin, DE
A Group Exhibition by Curated By Girls, Mutuo Galerie, Barcelona, SP
A Group Exhibition by Curated By Girls, Vogelball Festival, Hamburg, DE
A Group Exhibition by Curated By Girls, Whole - United Queer Festival, Berlin, DE
“Come As You Are - Curated By Girls” - A Group Exhibition, St. George, Berlin, DE
“A Story The World Need To See” - A Group Exhibition by Curated By Girls, Berlin Feminist Film Week, Agora, Berlin, DE
“Kunsthalle Palermo” - Art Space Fairs, Caffè Internazionale, Palermo, IT
“Art Verona” - ART PROJECT FAIR, Caffè Internazionale Pavillon, Verona, IT
“Gold Train” - A Group Exhibition, K-Salon, Berlin, DE
“Alter Angle” - A Group Exhibition, Somos Gallery, Berlin, DE
“The Photocopy Club” - The Photocopy Club, Urban Spree Gallery, Berlin, DE
“Der Greif” - Der Greif, Neue Galerie im Höhmannhaus, Ausburg, DE
“Immortal Yearning” - A Group Exhibition - Galerie Su De Coucou, Berlin, DE
“Irene” Erotic Zine - A Presentation and a Group Exhibition, Galerie OFR, Paris, FR
Societé de 032c Presentation “Tissue” – 032c Workshop, Berlin, DE
“Follow Me” - A Group Exhibition - Galerie Su De Coucou, Berlin, DE
“Job Market in the Culture Sector”- A Group Exhibition, Krakow, PL
IV International Biennale of Artistic Photography “Child”, A Group Exhibition, Poznan, PL
VI Photofestival, A Group Exhibition, Lodz, PL
Artistic Collaborations
Bodywholeness, Intermedial Performance, Tiff Center, Wroclaw, PL
“Bigbul” - A self-published photo-book, Berlin, DE
“Urban Witches Not Bitches” - A Live Shooting Performance, A Collaboration with House of Doll, Neurotitan Gallery, Berlin, DE
Screening of a Video-collaboration with Vero Manchego, Balera, Berlin, DE
“Prima Facie” - A Video-collaboration with Tarren Johnson, Ackerpalace, Berlin, DE
Participation in O.K. Project – The Christopher Kline’s Musical, Insitu + KW Institute for Contemporary Art, Berlin, DE
Talks and Residencies
Artist's presentation as part of the workshop for Hermann Ehlers Schule, Berlin, DE
Artist's presentation as part of the workshop for Ernst Litfass Schule, Berlin, DE
“AIR WRO” - Art Residency, photo-editing a book “@Smilefomedaddy”, Wroclaw, PL
Artist Talk for “Bodywholeness” - a project grant, Berlin Senate Department for Culture and Europe, GlogauAir, Berlin, DE
“AIR WRO” Art Residency, “Bodywholeness”, Breslau, PL
Artist Talk, Weserhalle, Berlin, DE
Awards
Honorable Mention at Photobook Dummy Award, Fotofestiwal, Łódź, PL
Nomination to Photobook Dummy Star Awards, SP
Shortlist of finalists at Photofestival Tiff, Wroclaw, PL
Grand Prix and silver medal in "The Child" photo award, Poznan, PL
2 Second Prizes in "Fotoplastikon" photo award, Warsaw, PL
Prize in "Arctic Paper" photo award, Lodz, PL
Workshops and Seminars
„Alltag Phantasie“ - (Everyday Phantasy) - A Participatory Photography Project for adolescent and young adults and the Exhibition, Haus der Jugend Zehlendorf, Berlin, DE
Project Day - A practical photography assignment about the importance of diverse visual perspectives, Hermann Ehlers Schule, Berlin, DE
Guided tour of Nadine Ijewere’s exhibition in C/O Berlin about the importance of diversity of representations, Hermann Ehlers Schule, Berlin, DE
3 modules Photography Workshop "Wir Leben Vielfalt" (We Live Diversity), Ernst Litfass Schule, Berlin, DE
Mixed media Workshop "Bodywholeness" about being wholesome in the body, GlogauAir, Berlin, DE
Mixed media Workshop "Bodywholeness" about being wholesome in the body, Tiff, Wroclaw, PL
Seminar “Photography”, summer semester, HTK Design School Berlin, DE
Photography and Art Direction Workshop “Haloween”, HTK Design School Berlin, DE
Seminar “Photography”, winter and summer semester, HTK Design School Berlin, DE
Seminar “Photography and Art Direction”, summer and winter semester, HTK Design School Berlin, DE
Photography and Art Direction Workshop “Haloween”, HTK Design School Berlin, DE
Seminar “Photography and Art Direction”, summer and winter semester, HTK Design School Berlin, DE
Selected Press
Arcademi • ArtConnect • Art Magazin • ArtNau • Art Sponge • Bloginity • Curated By Girls • Dash Magazine • Der Greif • D-la Republica • Elle Pl • Fashion Copious • Fav Magazine • 4SEE • If You Leave • Ignant • Juxtapoz • Kenzine • Kikimora • K-mag • Mossles • Normale Magazine • Novembre Magazine • RBB • The Lucky Jotter • The Quiet Front • The Photography Link • The 405 • This isn’t happiness • TOH Magazine • Trendland • Wadmag • Wandering Bears • We Are Selectors • Wednesday Early Mag
About Blank • Venue Acker Palace • Venue Appaloosa • Band Ballady I Romanse • Band Berglind Agustsdottir • Musician Berlin Community • Radio Buttwrap • Underwear C-Heads • Magazine Converse • Footwear Contributor • Magazine D - la Repubblica • Magazine Dream Nation • Clothing Dr. Irena Eris • Cosmetics and Spa Dysnea Boys • Band Elle Pl • Magazine Frozen Bird • Band Gaby Gila • Artist Hanne Lippard • Artist Heinrich Barth • Cosmetics House of Doll • Fashion Designer Isabella Scorupco • Actress Jakkoo Eino Kalevi • Singer Mary Komasa • Singer Mossless • Book Nike • Sportwear Novembre • Magazine Odeur • Clothing Pedro Lourenco • Fashion Designer Shameless Limitless • Organization Sense of Beauty • Magazine Tarren Johnson • Creative Movement Director Temporary Showroom Tissue • Magazine Whitelies • Magazine Urban Spree • Venue 4SEE • Magazine
Terms of use
All content on this site is copyright-owned by Joanna Szproch. Except as permitted by the copyright law applicable to you, you may not reproduce or communicate any of the content on this website, including files downloadable from this website, without the permission of the copyright owner
Privacy notice
We take your privacy seriously. We do not collect, store or share personal data via this service. Our use of cookies is strictly limited to the technical functioning of this service. We use Google Analytics to analyze metrics on this service.
