Diana Matar
Department
Comparative Literature
Office
Contact
CV
Diana Matar is an American photographic artist based in London and New York. Her practice explores the unseen and lingering traces of human history. She considers how aesthetics might be used to reveal the subtle ways power leaves its mark on individuals, landscapes, architecture, and society.
She is the author of Evidence (2014) and My America (2024). My America was nominated for the Tim Hetherington Grant; long-listed for the Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation Prize; shortlisted for the Arles Photobook Award and the Grand Prix Image Vevey; nominated for the Kraszna-Krausz Foundation Award; and named a finalist for Photo España’s Books of the Year. Installations of her work have been exhibited at more than 30 international institutions, including Tate Modern; the Museum of Contemporary Photography, Chicago; the British Museum; the Institut du Monde Arabe; the National Museum of Singapore; the Musée de la Photographie, Charleroi; and the Victoria & Albert Museum.
Matar is the recipient of a Ford Foundation Grant, the Fifty Crows International Fund for Documentary Photography, the Deutsche Bank Award for Fine Art, and two Arts Council England Individual Artist Grants. Her work is held in prominent public collections across the globe, and she is represented by Purdy Hicks Gallery. Matar is a Professor of Professional Practice in Comparative Literature and Art History at Barnard College, where she teaches courses each spring semester.
1996 San Francisco State University. Bachelor of Arts. Journalism
2008 Royal College of Art London. Master Arts with Distinction. Photography
- Documentary Photography
- Long Form Photography
- Global Photography
- Artistic Practice: History and Memory
- Artistic Practice: Nature Environment and Ecology
- Artistic Practice - Artists as Writers.
CPLT 3000 - Global Long Form Photography: History and Memory
AHIS BC3002 - Photographing the Anthropocene
I Found Myself: The Last Dreams. Naguib Mahfouz, photographs Diana Matar, Viking Press. 2025
I Found Myself: The Last Dreams. Naguib Mahfouz, photographs Diana Matar, New Directions 2025
My America, Diana Matar, GOST Books. 2024 (Monograph)
City Of Lions Portrait of a City in Two Acts, Józef Wittlin, Philippe Sands, photographs Diana Matar. Pushkin Press, 2023.
City Of Lions. Józef Wittlin, Philippe Sands, photographs Diana Matar. Pushkin Press, 2016.
Evidence, Diana Matar, Schilt Publishing, 2014 Europe, 2015 USA. (Monograph)
Seeking Asylum, Diana Matar. Essay by Colin Jacobson. BCA Gallery Publishing. 2002 (Monograph)
(Solo) FOTOFEST Houston. Museum of Fine Arts Houston and First Universalist Church of Houston sponsor a major installation of 69 photographs and texts from My America. March - May 2026.
(Group) My America in American Photography, The Victoria and Albert Museum. Curated by Duncan Forbes. June 2025 - April 2026.
(Solo) Purdy Hicks Gallery London My America. April 4 - May 15, 2024.
(Group) Imperial War Museum, London. Evidence in the permanent exhibition of unique modern war art in the Blavatnik Art Film and Photography Galleries. Inauguration October 8th 2023 - Ongoing.
(Two Person) The British Museum. London. Evidence and The Return: An Intervention by Diana Matar and Hisham Matar. December 12, 2021 – June 21, 2022. (Extended due to Covid 19)
(Solo) Purdy Hicks Gallery. London. Diana Matar Tête-à-Tête. December 10, 2020 – April 21, 2021. (Extended due to Covid 19)
(Group) SFMOMA. San Francisco. My America in American Geography, curated by Sandra Philipps. (With Catalogue.) July 1- Oct 31, 2020. (Delayed due to Covid 19)
(Solo) Musee de la Photographie a Charleroi, Charleroi Belgium. My America by Diana Matar. Solo Exhibition January 20, 2020 - April 20, 2021. (Extended due to Covid 19)
(Three Person) Museum of Contemporary Photography Chicago. Traversing the Past: Adam Golfer, Diana Matar, Hrvoje Slovenc. Major installation of 100 works from Evidence, Witness, Disappearance, and Still Far Away. Jan 18 - April 2, 2018.
(Solo) Purdy Hicks Gallery London. Diana Matar: Evidence, Disappearance and Still Far Away. May 12 - June 6, 2016.
(Group) Fotofest International, Houston Texas. Major installation of 60 works from Evidence. March 12- April 24, 2016.
(Group) The Institut du Monde Arabe et Maison Européenne de la Photographie, Paris. Major installation of Evidence in the Biennale of Contemporary Photography from the Arab World. Nov. 9, 2015 – Jan. 17, 2016.
(Solo) Rick Wester Fine Art, New York, NY. Diana Matar Evidence. Sept. 12 - Oct. 24, 2015.
(Group) Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden, Germany. Major installation of Evidence in Conflict Time Photography. July 31 - Oct. 25, 2015.
(Group) GoEun Museum of Photography, Busan Korea. Major installation of Evidence in Two Moons. August 29 – Nov. 25, 2015.
(Group) Museum Folkswang Essen, Germany. Major installation of Evidence in Conflict Time Photography. April 10 - July 5, 2015.
(Group) Tate Modern, London UK. Evidence in Conflict, Time, Photography. Nov. 26, 2014 – March 15, 2015.
From “I Found Myself . . . The Last Dreams”. Cleveland Review of Books. Introduction by Hisham Matar and Photography by Diana Matar. August 23rd 2025.
At the Border of the Night. Bidoun. Introduction by Hisham Matar and Photography by Diana Matar.
The Last Dreams. The Paris Review. Introduction by Hisham Matar and Photography by Diana Matar. May 8th 2025.
My America by Diana Matar in:The Synthetic Eye on Photography in the Age of AI. Fred Ritchen. Thames and Hudson, 2025.
My America by Diana Matar. Eleven image portfolio and interview in Exibart Street. Interview: Exibart Editorial Staff. 2025.
Evidence by Diana Matar in: Artists Making Books: Poetry to Politics. Edited and essay by Venetia Porter. The British Museum Press. 2023.
Evidence by Diana Matar for the Imperial War Museum in: Contemporary Art Society. Arts Council England and Contemporary Art Society Press. 2022.
Evidence by Diana Matar in: Research and Photography Behind the Image. Routledge Press 2nd Edition. Editors Anna Fox and Natasha Caruana. 2022.
My America in Black and White Magazine. 10 Page Feature Portfolio. George Slade. 2022.
Diana Matar. Issue 19 Photo London Magazine. Monograph magazine devoted to the work of Diana Matar. Conversation with Devorah Baum. Autumn 2020.
My America by Diana Matar Photographie Ouverte # 180. Musee de la Photographie a Charleroi Press. Jan 2020.
Evidence by Diana Matar in: Seeing what can no longer be seen. Calling Memory into Place. Dora Apel. Rutgers University Press. 2020.
Tête-à-Tête a portfolio and essay by Diana Matar. Granta 152 Still Life. Granta Publishing. July 2020.
Witness a portfolio by Diana Matar. Femmes PHOTOgraphes Issue 08. Summer 2020.
In the Heat of the Summer: responding to the work of Roman Vishniac. Essay by Diana Matar. Loose Associations. Vol 4:3. The Photographers Gallery Press London. 2019.
American Orchard by Diana Matar with introduction by Max Houghton. Granta 146 The Politics of Feeling. Granta Publishing. January 2019.
Evidence by Diana Matar in: Still There, Waiting (retracing) Retroactivity and Contemporary Art. By Craig Staff. Bloomsbury Academic Press. 2018.
Evidence 5 by Diana Matar in: 1001 Photographs You Must See Before You Die. Editor Paul Lowe. With Fred Ritchin. Quintessence Editions, London. Sept. 2017.
Diana Matar Evidence and My America with an essay by Max Houghton in: Contemporary Female Photographers Now. Edited by Max Houghton and Fiona Rogers. Thames and Hudson, London. Autumn 2017.
Evidence Diana Matar. 1ere Biennale des Photographies Du Monde Arabe: Histoire(s) Contemporaine(s) Edited by Claude Mollard et Jean-Luc Monterosso, directeur de la Maison Européenne de la Photographie. Institute du Monde Arabe e Maison Européenne de la Photographie. November 2015.
Diana Matar Evidence. Essay by Shoair Mavlian, curator Tate Modern, London. Photoworks Annual 22: Women. Photoworks Publishing. November 2015.
PhotoDot, July 2015, Cover Portfolio Evidence by Diana Matar.
Diana Matar - Evidence. Essay by Sujong Song. Two Moons. Edited by Sujong Song. The GoEun Museum of Photography Press. September 2015.
Diana Matar Evidence. Essay by Shoair Mavlian. Conflict Time Photography. Tate Publishing, London. November 2014.
Still Far Away: portfolio and writings by Diana Matar in: Issue 35, Autobiografias. Ojo de Pez. Edited by Liza Fakour and Arianna Reinaldo. December 2013.
2027 I Tatti Artist in Residence Program. The Harvard University Center for Italian Renaissance Studies. Florence, Italy.
2025 My America finalist for the PHotoEspaña Best Photography Book of the Year Award.
2025 Invited to Conversazioni the Hawthornden Foundation Casa Ecco, Griante Italy.
2025 My America nominated for the Krazna-Krause Foundation Award.
2024 My America Long Listed for the Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation Award.
2024 My America nominated for the Deutsch Börse Photography Foundation Award.
2024 My America best photobooks of 2024. PhotoEye chosen by Rebecca Senf.
2024 My America best photobooks of 2024. 10Fps.
2024 My America shortlisted for Recontres de Arles Book Award.
2023 Evidence inaugurated into the permanent gallery of unique modern war art in the Blavatnik Art Film and Photography Galleries Imperial War Museum.
2022 Contemporary Arts Society Acquisitions Grant - for the purchase of Evidence for the Imperial War Museum.
2022 Invited to make photographic works inspired by the Greek and Roman Collection at the Metropolitan Museum New York.
2021 Nominated for the Leica Oskar Barnack Award.
2019 Nominated for the Prix Pictet.
2019 Artists Residency. Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Napoli.
2017 Shortlisted Grand Prix Image Vevey for My America.
2017 Nominated Tim Hetherington Grant
2016 Ford Foundation Individual Travel Grant for My America.
2016 Long List for the Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation Award.
2016 Nominated for Prix Pictet
2015 Nominated for Prix Pictet
2014 Arts Council England. Individual Artist Grant.
2012 Finalist Critical Mass
2010 Arts Council England. Individual Artist Grant.
2010 Deutsche Bank commission for production and installation of Disappearance.
2010 Shortlisted for the Victoria and Albert Museum Residency/Photography Fellowship
2010 Nominated for Prix Pictet
2008 The Deutsche Bank Pyramid Award for Fine Art Photography