With an intimate photographic approach, Andrea Gjestvang (b. 1981, Norway) explores political and social issues connected to the lives of adolescents. In 2012, she finished “One Day in History”, with portraits of the young survivors of the massacre on Utøya 22.07.11. The project gained international recognition, including the prestigious L'Iris d'Or/Sony World Photographer of the Year 2013.

Andrea was selected for the Joop Swart Masterclass in 2010 and Norwegian Journal of Photography in 2011-2013. In 2017, she gave a TEDx talk at the WHU Otto Besheim School of Management in Koblenz.  Her work has been exhibited internationally in galleries and museums such as Ullens Center for Contemporary Arts (UCCA) in Beijing, Münchner Stadtmuseum and Galerie Vasli Souza in Malmö. She has exhibited in several photo festivals, including the Lumix Festival in Hannover, Athens Photo Festival and New York Photo festival. Her pictures regularly appear in magazines worldwide such as TIME, M Le Monde and The New York Times. She is represented by Panos Pictures in London.

Andrea Gjestvang (f.1981) er dokumentarfotograf basert i Oslo og Berlin. Prosjektene hennes undersøker politiske og sosiale temaer, ofte fra perspektivet til ungdom. I 2012 ga hun ut boken En dag i historien (Pax) med portretter av ungdom som overlevde terroren på Utøya 22.juli 2011. Prosjektet fikk stor internasjonal oppmerksomhet gjennom utstillinger, publikasjoner og utmerkelsen L'Iris d'Or/Sony World Photographer of the Year 2013. Hun har stilt ut på blant annet Ullens Center for Contemporary Arts i Beijing, Sørlandets Kunstmuseum og Münchner Stadtmuseum. Bildene hennes publiseres i internasjonale magasiner som TIME, M Le Monde og The New York Times. Hun er representert av Panos Pictures i London. 

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EVERYBODY KNOWS THIS IS NOWHERE (2010-2012)

Everybody Knows This is Nowhere explores the restless lives of adolescents growing up in Finnmark, the northernmost part of Norway. To a large extent Norway’s increasing wealth is due to fish, oil and minerals from this part of the country; yet several small communities are left as nowhere lands, forcing young people to questioning their longing to explore the world versus the ties to home and family.

Everybody Knows This is Nowhere utforsker det rastløse livet til ungdom på små steder i Øst-Finnmark. 

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RETURN (2015)

Return follows the trail of young asylum seekers who have spent several years in Norway but are now returned to their homeland: Afghanistan, Iran, Nigeria and Jordan. Through photos and text, we glimpse their new life after the return. I have also photographed their home in Norway, their friends and the places they left behind.

Return følger unge asylsøkere som har blitt tvangsutsendt fra Norge etter å ha levd her i opp til ni år. Gjennom bilder og tekst får vi et glimt av deres nye liv tilbake i hjemlandet, eller på flukt igjen. Jeg har også fotografert vennene og stedene de forlot i Norge. 

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