Maria Denise Dessimoz is a Greek-Swiss artist based in Berlin and born in Athens (1995). She has a Master of
Arts in photography from the UE Faculty of Art and Design in Berlin and a background in environmental
engineering. Through photography and mixed media techniques, she explores the subconscious and inner
truths by using metaphor and symbolism. Her intense emotional reality has a tremendous effect on her
everyday life and plays a motivational role in the creation of images, thus externalizing her inner world. She
has exhibited internationally both in group and solo in countries such as Japan, Germany, Belgium,
Switzerland, Russia, Slovakia, Chile and Greece. Furthermore, she got featured in various websites and
printed magazines. In 2024 she self-published in collaboration with Zoetrope Athens her first photo book,
which took part in various Art Book fairs in Paris, Greece and Japan. In December 2024, it got recognised by
Henri-Cartier Bresson Foundation as book of the month.
EXHIBITIONS
- Fstop Territory Exhibit, Pichilemu Chile (2025)
- Photometria Photo Festival, Ioannina (2025)
- La Chasseuse Berlinoise, Galerie Toulouse (2025)
- “The Invisible Essential”, Rencontres Marrakech (2025)
- Solo exhibition, La Tour de Forge, Conthey Switzerland (2025)
- La Nature Festival/PeP, Belgium (2025)
- Open Doors Gallery, OD Photo Prize exhibiting artists, London (2024)
- Group exhibition, Zerofeedback, Tokio (2024)
- APhF:24, Young Greek Photographers, Benaki Museum, Athens (2024)
- Group exhibition, Fotogalerie Friedrichshain (2024)
- Orientation Philosophy, Photo Contest Winner (online exhibition, 2024)
- Solo exhibition, Spaceplaceone, Russia (2024)
- IpFF portrait award, Bulgaria (2023)
- Solo exhibition, Kulturraum Berrio, Berlin (2023)
- VJOSA group exhibition, EMOP, Berlin (2023)
- Group show(as part of Antoine D`Agata workshop), Studio Hanniball, Berlin (2022)
- UE Graduation expo, Berlin (2022)
- OFF Bratislava (2021)
- MedPhoto Festival, Crete (2017)
SELF-PUBLISHED BOOK
- Self-Published book “The Inevitable Anguish of Desire” in Collaboration with Zoetrope Athens and Keda press, 2024. Recognised as BOOK OF THE MONTH by Henri-Cartier Bresson Foundation, Paris 2024 (link)
ART BOOK FAIRS
- Polycopies,Paris (2025)
- Photobook Mania,Bologna (2025)
- Pinakotheke,Thessaloniki (2025)
- Ephemere Photo Fest, Gallery Shibuya, Tokio (2025)
- Athens Artbook Festival (2025)
- Planet of Zines,Tokio (2025)
- Verzasca Photo Festival, Switzerland (2025)
- Polycopies,Paris (2024)
- WirWir, Artbook and Zine festival, Berlin (2024)
- Pinakotheke,Thessaloniki (2024)
- Athens Artbook Festival (2024)
ONLINE PUBLICATIONS AND MAGAZINES
- Interview with systemagazine (2025)
- Visual Dialogue: Nadia Ettwein and Maria Denise Dessimoz, See-Zeen (2025)
- DER GREIF, Guest room "The Dark before Dawn" (2025)
- Anatomy of an earlier time (2025)
- Anthotaxies, Zoetrope (2025)
- Pep Metamorphosis (2025)
- Phases Mag (2025)
- Through the Lens Collective, Women`s Month (2025)
- WomensPhotoFestival (2025)
- Void x FUTURES, new talents shortlist (2025)
- Open Doors Gallery (2024)
- Blog L`Intervalle (Book review and critic, 2024)
- “You Are Innocent in Your Dreams”, Zerofeedbak, Tokio (2024)
- Photologio.gr (2024)
- see-zeen mag (2024)
- Zone Mag 03 (2024)
- APhF:24 Catalogue (2024)
- Immemory Mag (2024)
- Neptune Journal N2, Published in Arles (2024)
- Revue Mouche, Published in Paris (2024)
- Uncommon images (2024)
- Noia Magazine, Absurd Rituals (2024)
- Seen-Zeen Magazine and Online Interview (2024)
- Fotografiska Museum Berlin, Online Publication (2023)
- EMOP catalogue (2023)
Artist Talks
- Artist Talk at Sonic Letters,90mil Radio, Berlin(2025)
- Guest Lecture at Art & Design Theory class,UE Berlin(2024)
Portfolio Reviews
- Verzasca Photo-Match, Portfolio Review,(2025)
- Fotografiska Portfolio Review,(2023)
EDUCATION & WORKSHOPS
- Online course with Tereza Zelenková "Photography in Eastern and Central Europe 1940s–Today"(Participation awarded by partial bursary,6 weeks,2025)
- Workshop for Image animation and concept, Interact Berlin (Fully funded by German state,10-19.3.2025)
- Photobook Workshop, Zoetrope Athens (6 months, 2023)
- Master of Arts in Staged Photography, UE Berlin (2020-2022)
- Antoine D`Agata workshop, Berlin (5 days, 2022)
- Matthias Leupold, Environmental Photography workshop for VJOSA, ALBANIA (8 days, 2021)
- Diploma in Environmental Engineering, TUC Crete (2013-2019)
- Photographic Workshop with Yorgos Anastasakis, South Space, Chania Crete(5 months, 2018)
- Nikos Economopoulos, Street photography workshop, Cuba (11 days, 2018)
- Maro Kouri, Photojournalism Workshop, Oman (8 days, 2016)
- Fotoskiasi,University Photographic Cycle,Chania Crete(2013-2018)
- Photographic workshop "Living History, Living Nature", fully supported by the EU, Macedonia (7 days, 2016)
- LEFKI, Photographic Cycle, Chania Crete (2013-2018)
Languages
- Greek(mother tongue)
- French(C2)
- English(C2)
- Spanish(fluent)
- German(C1)
- Italian(A2)