Milan-based artist Debora Barnaba originally studied drawing and painting; she later embraced photography, which became her primary artistic expression.
Since 2006 she has worked with renowned practitioners including Giovanni Gastel and Oliviero Toscani, participated in group and solo exhibitions and won numerous awards.
Her images express the power of self-portraits, with bodies that are controlled and subverted in favour of the photographic lens. Barnaba’s background can be seen in the detailed, formal construction of the shots and in her effort to aestheticise an idea, “tracing” it in the space of a single click.
.nedt, IBSA special project, Milan, Italy, june 2019
Debora Barnaba: Untitled Show, Theca Gallery, Lugano, Swiss, september 2013
PhotoLondon fair, with Podbielski Gallery, London, Great Britain, october 2020
Ghiggini Arte 03/2020, curated by Eileen Ghiggini, Ghiggini Gallery, Varese, Italy, march 2020
Pleasure Garden, curated by Pierre Podbielski, Podbielski Gallery, Milan, Italy, february 2020
50 Liceo Artistico, Villa Mirabello Museum, Varese, Italy, february 2020
ContemporaneaMENTI, exhibition of the finalists of the prize, Fondazione Arsenale, Iseo, Italy, september 2019
Incarnato, curated by Chiara Gatti, Ghiggini Gallery, Varese, Italy, april 2019
Artisti a Venezia, curated by Daniela Accorsi, Accorsi Gallery, Venice, Italy, may 2018
Arte e moda, curated by Giorgio Grasso, Spazio Kappa, Milan, Italy, february 2018
Carte esposte, curated by Annalisa Fanti, Theca Gallery, Milan, Italy, july 2017
Biennale di Genova, Palazzo Stella, Genova, Italy, june 2017
Nude, Cortina Gallery, Milan, Italy, may 2017
Kunst lives matter, Marzia Frozen Gallery, Berlin, Germany, march 2017
White light/White heat, Theca Gallery, Lugano, Switzerland, february 2014
Corpo a corpo, Hangart, Pavia, Italy, 2013
Il paesaggio contemporaneo, Deodato Arte, Milan, Italy, 2012
Nonsolocorpisoli, I Macelli, Florence, Italy, 2012
Circuiti dinamici, Circolo culturale Bertolt Brecht, Milan, Italy, 2011
Locus animae, Palazzo del Turismo, Jesolo, Italy, 2010
Artparty, Museo d’Arte Moderna e Contemporanea, Castello di Masnago, Varese, Italy, 2010
Cristalli di Rocca, curated by Carolina Lio, Rocca Grimalda, Italy, 2008
Body-il corpo umano nell’arte contemporanea, Spazio Expo Culturali GB Design, Florence, Italy, 2007
Bronze at Paris Photo prize, Paris, 2021
Winner of the photographry prize at ContemporaneaMENTI, Fondazione Arsenale Iseo, 2019
Finalist at C.O.C.A. Prize for photography, 2018
Winner of the critique prize, Genova Biennale, 2017
Mention by the jury, The Independent Photographer award, 2017
Third classified with Annalisa Mazzoli, Serbelloni Prize, 2014
Finalist at Premio Giovani Artisti Borgomanero, III edition, 2012
Third classified, Premio Ghiggini Arte Giovani XI edition, 2012
Special mention by the jury, Giovani Artisti Borgomanero, II edition, 2011
AAVV., ContemporaneaMENTI, cat. Exhibition, Arsenale Iseo, 2019
AAVV., Biennale di Genova, cat. Exhibition, AGF Edizioni, 2017
AAVV., Regione Lombardia: four seasons of beauty, Regione Lombardia, 2017
BONOMI Giorgio, Il corpo solitario vol.2, Rubettino Editore, 2017
AAVV., Expo Tales, Regione Lombardia, 2015
BARNABA Debora, Mondrian: Arte come percezione della forma invisibile, Edizioni Accademiche Italiane, 2015
AAVV., Pasottiade, Silvio Pasotti dal 1933, Skira Ed, 2015
BARNABA Debora, White catalogue, White Milano, jan. 2015
AAVV., La Varese che vorrei, 80 contributors, Associazione Parentesi and Lions Club Varese Host Ed, 2014
AAVV., 12 Riflessi, cat. exhibition, Francesco Brioschi Ed, 2014
AAVV., Premio giovani artisti, cat. exhibition, Italgrafica Ed, 2012
AAVV., Ghiggini arte, cat. exhibition, 2012
BARNABA Debora, Visioni del vuoto: Varese, Arterigere Ed, 2011
AAVV., Premio giovani artisti, cat. exhibition, Italgrafica Ed, 2011
IOVINE Sandro, Il Fotografo, Kissing me, magazine, Sprea Ed, 2010
AAVV., Locus animae, rassegna d'arte contemporanea quinto episodio, cat. exhibition, Nextitalia, 2010
AAVV., Artparty, sferica, cat. exhibition, Quir Ed, 2010
AAVV., Circuiti dinamici, cat. exhibition, Seriart Ed, 2010
AAVV., Ghiggini arte, cat. exhibition, 2010
TOSCANI Oliviero e ALTRI, Santo Spirito, La Sterpaia Ed, 2009
AAVV., Cristalli di Rocca, cat. exhibition, 2008
Since 2006 she has worked with renowned practitioners including Giovanni Gastel and Oliviero Toscani, participated in group and solo exhibitions and won numerous awards.
Her images express the power of self-portraits, with bodies that are controlled and subverted in favour of the photographic lens. Barnaba’s background can be seen in the detailed, formal construction of the shots and in her effort to aestheticise an idea, “tracing” it in the space of a single click.
Solo exhibitions
.nedt, IBSA special project, Milan, Italy, june 2019
Debora Barnaba: Untitled Show, Theca Gallery, Lugano, Swiss, september 2013
Selected group exhibitions
Femme et fatale, with Image Nation Milan, Fondazione Matalon, Milan, Italy, september 2021PhotoLondon fair, with Podbielski Gallery, London, Great Britain, october 2020
Ghiggini Arte 03/2020, curated by Eileen Ghiggini, Ghiggini Gallery, Varese, Italy, march 2020
Pleasure Garden, curated by Pierre Podbielski, Podbielski Gallery, Milan, Italy, february 2020
50 Liceo Artistico, Villa Mirabello Museum, Varese, Italy, february 2020
ContemporaneaMENTI, exhibition of the finalists of the prize, Fondazione Arsenale, Iseo, Italy, september 2019
Incarnato, curated by Chiara Gatti, Ghiggini Gallery, Varese, Italy, april 2019
Artisti a Venezia, curated by Daniela Accorsi, Accorsi Gallery, Venice, Italy, may 2018
Arte e moda, curated by Giorgio Grasso, Spazio Kappa, Milan, Italy, february 2018
Carte esposte, curated by Annalisa Fanti, Theca Gallery, Milan, Italy, july 2017
Biennale di Genova, Palazzo Stella, Genova, Italy, june 2017
Nude, Cortina Gallery, Milan, Italy, may 2017
Kunst lives matter, Marzia Frozen Gallery, Berlin, Germany, march 2017
White light/White heat, Theca Gallery, Lugano, Switzerland, february 2014
Corpo a corpo, Hangart, Pavia, Italy, 2013
Il paesaggio contemporaneo, Deodato Arte, Milan, Italy, 2012
Nonsolocorpisoli, I Macelli, Florence, Italy, 2012
Circuiti dinamici, Circolo culturale Bertolt Brecht, Milan, Italy, 2011
Locus animae, Palazzo del Turismo, Jesolo, Italy, 2010
Artparty, Museo d’Arte Moderna e Contemporanea, Castello di Masnago, Varese, Italy, 2010
Cristalli di Rocca, curated by Carolina Lio, Rocca Grimalda, Italy, 2008
Body-il corpo umano nell’arte contemporanea, Spazio Expo Culturali GB Design, Florence, Italy, 2007
Prizes
Bronze at Paris Photo prize, Paris, 2021
Winner of the photographry prize at ContemporaneaMENTI, Fondazione Arsenale Iseo, 2019
Finalist at C.O.C.A. Prize for photography, 2018
Winner of the critique prize, Genova Biennale, 2017
Mention by the jury, The Independent Photographer award, 2017
Third classified with Annalisa Mazzoli, Serbelloni Prize, 2014
Finalist at Premio Giovani Artisti Borgomanero, III edition, 2012
Third classified, Premio Ghiggini Arte Giovani XI edition, 2012
Special mention by the jury, Giovani Artisti Borgomanero, II edition, 2011
Selected bibliography - Books and Exhibitions catalogues
AAVV., ContemporaneaMENTI, cat. Exhibition, Arsenale Iseo, 2019
AAVV., Biennale di Genova, cat. Exhibition, AGF Edizioni, 2017
AAVV., Regione Lombardia: four seasons of beauty, Regione Lombardia, 2017
BONOMI Giorgio, Il corpo solitario vol.2, Rubettino Editore, 2017
AAVV., Expo Tales, Regione Lombardia, 2015
BARNABA Debora, Mondrian: Arte come percezione della forma invisibile, Edizioni Accademiche Italiane, 2015
AAVV., Pasottiade, Silvio Pasotti dal 1933, Skira Ed, 2015
BARNABA Debora, White catalogue, White Milano, jan. 2015
AAVV., La Varese che vorrei, 80 contributors, Associazione Parentesi and Lions Club Varese Host Ed, 2014
AAVV., 12 Riflessi, cat. exhibition, Francesco Brioschi Ed, 2014
AAVV., Premio giovani artisti, cat. exhibition, Italgrafica Ed, 2012
AAVV., Ghiggini arte, cat. exhibition, 2012
BARNABA Debora, Visioni del vuoto: Varese, Arterigere Ed, 2011
AAVV., Premio giovani artisti, cat. exhibition, Italgrafica Ed, 2011
IOVINE Sandro, Il Fotografo, Kissing me, magazine, Sprea Ed, 2010
AAVV., Locus animae, rassegna d'arte contemporanea quinto episodio, cat. exhibition, Nextitalia, 2010
AAVV., Artparty, sferica, cat. exhibition, Quir Ed, 2010
AAVV., Circuiti dinamici, cat. exhibition, Seriart Ed, 2010
AAVV., Ghiggini arte, cat. exhibition, 2010
TOSCANI Oliviero e ALTRI, Santo Spirito, La Sterpaia Ed, 2009
AAVV., Cristalli di Rocca, cat. exhibition, 2008