Photo by Eefje Ludwig
Sanja Knežević is a documentary photographer born in Belgrade, Serbia in 1984. She graduated in photography at the Faculty of Applied Arts in Belgrade. Her work has been published in various magazines, including National Geographic Serbia, National Geographic Germany, NRC Holland, The Economist, Financial Times, Geo Lino. She has won awards in major photographic contests in Serbia, YU Press Photo 2007, Republic Exhibition 2006 and 2009. In the USA she received an honorable mentions, for En Foco 2009. Recognized by Ian Parry scholarship 2009 (London). She was chosen by the Serbian Government for the Applied Nostalgia project in September 2009 to photograph Stockholm, which resulted in exhibitions in Stockholm and Belgrade. Her work Belgrade Shadow was exhibited at the Balkan Snapshots Film-festival in Amsterdam, 30 Oct – 1 Nov 2009. In January 2010 she won third prize for the ”Press photo of the year” of Status Magazine contest. Press Photo Serbia 2010 – she won Grand Prix for the photograph ”Couple”. She is the finalist: Wine photo 2010, Italy; SEE People and Culture photo contest, Brussels; NATO photo contest, Brussels. Nominated for the Joop Swart Masterclass in 2010 and 2011 . Attended SEE New Perspectives, the masterclass of World Press Photo in partnership with Robert Bosh Stiftung, Berlin 2010. In March 2011 she attended Noor – Nikon Masterclass in documentary photography, Bucharest. Press Photo Serbia 2011 – awarded for the story ”Family Matters” in section life reportage. Her project Uprooted Community was exhibited at PhotSoc Festival in France, Sarcelles, from April 30 – May 14, 2011. She is the winner of ”Fenix Fine Art Photography” Belgrade 2011. Sanja’s story about Serbian – Albanian marriages ”Marriage lottery” is recognised by National Geographic for the best local story in the world in November 2011.