N. A. Vague (born in Berlin, Germany) is an artist who initially studied advertising and marketing.
Growing up in a creative household, N. A. Vague photographed, drew and collaged from early on. Before being brave enough to share her personal art with the world, she worked in a variety of jobs across the media industry, including at The Walt Disney Company, the TV Show “Big Brother” and the Carl Hanser Verlag.
After becoming a mother, N. A. Vague dropped everything (besides her son, of course) to pursue her passion of creating playful conceptual art with an emphasis on photography. Her projects offer witty and occasionally tongue-in-cheek commentaries on various aspects of popular culture, such as marketing terminology, advertising imagery, artificial intelligence and social media.
In 2018 and 2019, N. A. Vague was subsequently shortlisted at the Sony World Photography Awards and her works were exhibited at The Royal Photographic Society's International Photography Exhibition 161. In 2020, she was declared the overall winner of the 14th Julia Margaret Cameron Award for Women Photographers, juried by Elizabeth Avedon, and also nominated for the 8. Merck-Preis. In 2023, works of her were part of an interactive installation at the Pavillon 333 of the Pinakothek der Moderne in Munich.
N. A. Vague lives in Munich, Germany.
“My ultimate goal is to challenge rigid perceptions and invite audiences to reflect on their surroundings—particularly the more superficial aspects—with a touch of humor.”
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2024:
#real #me #ad, Public Installation, Kaufingerstr. 26, Munich, DE
2020:
#real #me #ad & In Between, FotoNostrum Gallery, Barcelona, ES
GROUP EXHIBITIONS (SELECTED)
2024:
Bring Along. Take Along., Galerie der Künstler*innen, Munich, DE
Micro Art Gallery, New Town Hall, Munich, DE
2023:
BBA Photography Prize, Kühlhaus, Berlin, DE
Contextualise by Der Greif, Pavillon 333, Pinakothek der Moderne, Munich, DE
Andy Warhol in Me / Pop Art, HAZEGALLERY, Berlin, DE
2021:
BBA Photography Prize, Berlin Photo Week, RAW Area, Berlin, DE
2020:
Darmstadt Photography Days, Designhaus, Darmstadt, DE
2019/2020:
Sony World Photography Awards Traveling Exhibition, Tokyo, Madrid, Busan, Monza, Medellín, Paris, Berlin
2019:
Royal Photographic Society's International Photography Exhibition 161, HIP Festival, Hull, GB
Royal Photographic Society's International Photography Exhibition 161, Dublin City Gallery The Hugh Lane, Dublin, IE
Royal Photographic Society's International Photography Exhibition 161, Royal Albert Hall, London, GB
Sony World Photography Awards Exhibition, Somerset House, London, GB
Royal Photographic Society's International Photography Exhibition 161, Midlands Arts Centre, Birmingham, GB
Aesthetica Art Prize Exhibition, Screening, York Art Gallery, York, GB
Royal Photographic Society's International Photography Exhibition 161, Royal Photographic Society, Bristol, GB
2018:
Sony World Photography Awards Traveling Exhibition, Paris, Berlin, Monza, Sicily, Tokyo
Sony World Photography Awards Exhibition, Somerset House, London, GB
AWARDS & ACCOLADES (SELECTED)
Shortlist, Athens Photo Festival 2024
Finalist, London International Creative Competition 2023
Nomination, BBA One Shot Award 2023
Jury Top 5 Selection & Silver Medal, Tokyo International Foto Awards 2022
Longlist, BBA Photography Prize 2021
Nomination, 8. Merck-Preis 2020
Overall Winner, 14th Julia Margaret Cameron Award for Women Photographers
Shortlist, Athens Photo Festival 2019
Shortlist, 2019 Sony World Photography Awards
Longlist, Aesthetica Art Prize 2019
Finalist, The Royal Photographic Society's International Photography Exhibition 161
2 Honorable Mentions, 2018 International Photography Awards
Top 200, Photolucida Critical Mass 2018
Shortlist, 2018 Sony World Photography Awards
GRANT
2022:
Young Art and New Ground, Free State of Bavaria
PUBLICATIONS & PRESS (SELECTED)
2024:
"N. A. Vague", I'D Rather, Online Feature, Aedra Fine Arts, December 2024
2022:
How to Create a Million Dollar Artwork - The Effortless Way, N. A. Vague, July 2022
2021:
"In Between", Poetry, Shutter Hub Editions, November 2021
2020:
"N. A. Vague - #real #me #ad", Skurrile Fluchten - Humor in der Fotografie, Darmstadt Photography Days, October 2020
14th Julia Margaret Cameron Award Exhibition, Book Edition, FotoNostrum, March 2020
2019:
"N. A. Vague - #real #me #ad", Square Magazine, Issue 1001, April 2019
"#real #me #ad 8", shortlisted photograph, 2019 Sony World Photography Awards Book
"N. A. Vague", Future Now 2019 - 100 Contemporary Artists from the Aesthetica Art Prize
"Artists’ Profiles 2019 - N. A. Vague", synopsis as 2019 longlisted artist of the Aesthetica Art Prize, Aesthetica Magazine Online
www.aestheticamagazine.com/profile/na-vague
2018:
"#real #me #ad", essay & photographs, Photomonitor, July 2018
www.photomonitor.co.uk/real-me-ad
"In between 2", shortlisted photograph, 2018 Sony World Photography Awards Book
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