Elena Paraskeva - Failure To Connect-2015 - XL

AWARDED/PUBLISHED/EXHIBITED ARTWORK - 100% PHOTOGRAPHIC ART shot in my studio - (all props are real). I am a conceptual artist committed to creating surrealism without the need for photoshop or AI.

"Failure To Connect" was the series that preceded "The Lost Swimmer". It explores feelings of loss of self, loss of direction and confinement within the invisible boundaries of one's own inner world (her own existence mirrors that of the fish in the fishbowl). This once again lost swimmer, attempts to reach out and find the water she seeks, and the connection she yearns for, but the gesture is incomplete, revealing more separation and distance than overcoming it.

Archival Chromogenic Print on Fuji Crystal Archive DP II SILK - professional-grade silver-halide paper, precision laser-exposed on a Durst Lambda.
Print: 50cmX70cm - Image: 46cmX65cm
Signed/numbered/with Certificate of Authenticity.

Please note that artwork displayed as wall art is of various print sizes.


ABOUT THE ARTIST

Elena Paraskeva's work is held in institutional and corporate collections, including the Public Art Department of Sweden (Västra Götaland Government), Boston Hospital, USA (major 500 cm installation at the entrance to the Children's Cancer Wing), Australian National University, Thalassa Museum, Affinity (Serif), and other institutional and corporate collections.

Since 2021, Elena Paraskeva has served as a juror for the FLORIDA MUSEUM OF PHOTOGRAPHIC ARTS—together with prominent jurors such as the curator from the Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography and Fotografiska Museum.

Her work has been exhibited at the EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT in Brussels, as well as at major biennales and galleries in NYC, Paris, Tokyo, London, Dubai, Sao Paolo (Brazil), Vienna, Barcelona, Munich, Kuala Lumpur, Florence, Frankfurt, Málaga, Linz, Graz, Siena etc.
In 2026, Magnum photographer Alec Soth, widely regarded as one of the most influential living photographers, personally selected her work for exhibition in Greece, held under the auspices of the Greek Ministry of Culture.

She has been named International Photographer of the Year (2024 / 2023 / 2021 / 2018) by four different international photographic societies and has received international recognition and major awards from Hasselblad Masters, World Masters of Photography, LensCulture, Aesthetica, Prix de la Photographie Paris, International Photography Awards (IPA), Neutral Density Awards, and many others.

She is also a former Adobe instructor and ambassador.

Her photographs have been published in Smithsonian Magazine, The Guardian (UK & Australia), The Times, Vogue.it, Aesthetica, LensCulture, PDN, Photography Masterclass, and numerous other international publications.

www.elenaparaskeva.com / @elenaparaskevaofficial


ACHIEVEMENTS:
Photometria 2026 - Selected by ALEC SOTH
World Masters of Photography 2025 – Gold Medal
European EPEX Awards 2025 – Gold Medal
International Color Awards 2025 – Gold Medal
PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR 2024 (People) – Neutral Density Awards
ScanArt Emerging Artist 2024 – Winner
European EPEX Awards 2024 – Winner
LensCulture B&W Photography Awards 2024 – Finalist
Hasselblad Masters 2023 – Finalist
Kuala Lumpur Photography Awards 2024 – Third Place
Prix De La Photographie Paris 2023 (PX3) Fine Art Awards- Gold Fine Art/People
International Portrait Photographer of the Year 2023 – Second Place (Character Study)
International Color Awards 2023 – First Place Portrait & Fashion
500px Global Fine Art Awards 2023 – Winner
WPE 2023 – Silver Portrait
17th Pollux Awards – Overall Winner (Professional Category)
New York Photography Awards 2021 – Gold Medal Fine Art
Neutral Density Awards 2022 – Silver Medal
N-Photo Photographer of the Year 2021
Trierenberg Supercircuit – Multiple Gold Medals (2017–2021)
International Photography Awards (IPA) – multiple awards (2018–2020)
Chromatic Awards 2020 – First Place Portrait, Professional Category
International Color Awards 2020 – Finalist Advertising & Portrait
Fine Art Photography Awards 2019/2020 – Finalist
13th International Color Awards – Finalist Advertising & Portrait
LensCulture Portrait Awards 2019 – Jurors’ Pick
Digital Camera Photographer of the Year 2018
Neutral Density Awards 2018 – Gold Medal in Advertising
Trierenberg Supercircuit 2019 – Gold Medal in Series
Trierenberg Supercircuit 2018 – Gold Medal in Series
Trierenberg Supercircuit 2017 – Gold Medal in Portraiture
Prix de la Photographie Paris 2018 – Silver in Portraiture
Prix de la Photographie Paris 2017 – Silver in Advertising/Fashion
Prix de la Photographie Paris 2017 – Silver and Bronze in Children Portraiture
Monovisions Photography Awards 2018 – Bronze in Conceptual
American Photography Open 2018 – Shortlisted
International Photography Awards (IPA) 2018 – Honorable Mention
One Eyeland Awards 2017 – Silver in Advertising/Conceptual
Moscow International Photography Awards (MIFA 2017) – Bronze in Portraiture
Chromatic Awards 2017 – Bronze in Fashion/Beauty
Neutral Density Awards 2017 – Bronze in People Category
International Photographer of the Year (IPOTY 2017) – 3 Honorable Mentions in Portraiture
WPPI – Second Place Individual Portrait Division 2017, First Place Individual Portrait Division 2016
PDN World in Focus 2016 – Second Place
Neutral Density Awards 2016 – Bronze in Advertising/Conceptual

EXHIBITIONS:

Galerie Talmart, Paris, France | November 2026 - Paris Photo
"The Conceptual Portraiture Of Elena Paraskeva" -UponWalls Gallery - Hjo, Sweden May-September 2026
Photometria Photography Festival - Ioannina/Greece 26/9/2026-30/11-2026
Belgrade Photo Month - April 2027
Foto Festival Pelt - Belgium - October – November 2026
Bucharest Photo Festival - October 9–18 2026
IPFA Sala Golfes – Centre Cívic Pati Llimona – Barcelona, Spain – March 2026
Bondi Pavilion Gallery (Head On Photo Festival) – Bondi Beach, Australia – Nov. 8–30 2025
Vila de Paranapiacaba – São Paulo, Brazil – Sept 13–14 2025
World Art Dubai – Dubai – 17–20 April 2025
Galerie LIK Spittelberggasse 9, Vienna – July 2025
Camino de Archez (Cómpeta Photo Days) – Málaga, Spain – Nov 2024
Discovery Art Fair – Frankfurt, Germany – Oct 31–Nov 3 2024
Bakerhouse Gallery – Graz, Austria – Oct 2024
“Duccio di Buoninsegna” Art Academy – Siena, Italy – Sept 2024
Therese-Giehse-Halle – Munich, Germany – Sept 2024
Temu House Gallery – Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – July 20–Aug 4 2024
House of Lucie Gallery – Budapest – Feb 2024
Paris Photo Week – 24b Gallery, Paris – Nov 6–12 2023
XIV Florence Biennale – Florence, Italy – Oct 14–22 2023
European Parliament, Brussels – March 2023
Fotonostrum Gallery – Barcelona – Nov 2022
Aperture Foundation – New York City – April 2019
Menier Gallery – London, UK – 2018
NEC – Birmingham, UK – 2018
Photo Oxford – Oxford, UK – 2017
Design Center – Linz, Austria – 2017
Espace Baurepaire – Paris – 2017
Opus 39 Gallery – Cyprus – 2017
Thalassa Museum – Cyprus – 2017
The Printspace – London, UK – 2015

PUBLICATIONS:
Smithsonian Magazine, The Guardian, The Times, Aesthetica Magazine (cover), LensCulture, Vogue.it, Lens Magazine (cover), Photographie Magazin (Germany), Photography Masterclass, Der Greif, Professional Photo (UK cover), Fotografare (Italy cover), Chromatica Magazine, Digital Camera, Digital Photographer (cover), N-Photo, PDN, Dodho, Digitalis Foto Magazin, The Photographer (cover), Knights of Art (USA cover), Photo & Technique (cover), Gala Greece (cover), AAP Magazine, Faddy Magazine USA & Italy, GALA (Greece), Good Light (cover), Economia, Fileleftheros Newspaper, Blurred, Omikron, Volition, Vantage, Icon, Ellements, Elegant, Incredible, LoveBite, La Plus Belle, Surreal, etc.

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