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Paola Leonardi is a practising fine art photographer working with both digital and analogue techniques.

She studied photography at Goldsmiths College; since graduating from the MA Image and Communication in 2006 Paola has worked commercially as well as developing personal projects.

Paola actively creates, publishes and exhibits her work and has taken part in numerous exhibitions in the UK, Italy, Belgium, Denmark Germany, US and Armenia.

She has exhibited at Copenhagen Photography Festival and has practiced at various artist residencies such as NES in Iceland and the Armenian Centre of Social Studies (ACOSS) in Yerevan, Armenia. Her work has received sponsorships from the Arts Council England and the European Cultural Foundation.

An experienced photographic educator, Paola is currently working as a senior lecturer in photography at London Met and the University of Suffolk, and also conducts photography workshops at the Victoria and Albert Museum.

Teaching:

Photography BA (Hons) at London Metropolitan University. In charge of the delivery of Level 4 module Studio Practice 3 – FA4003.

Further teaching experience includes:

Lecturer on BA Photography at University of Suffolk.

Visiting Lecturer at Chester University.

Victoria and Albert Museum (the V&A) – Workshop Tutor.

• Copenhagen Festival of Photography 2015, catalogue.
• Borderlands: The Edges of Europe project.
• Copenhagen Festival of Photography 2014, catalogue. Undrawn Hours project.
• La Repubblica (newspaper–Italy): Borderlands: The Edges of Europe featured in June 2013 edition.
• Vignette Magazine: Undrawn Hours featured in 2012.
• Darwin Magazine: Borderlands: The Edges of Europe with an essay by Victoria Cheape, Vol. 6 November 2016.
• La Repubblica (newspaper – Italy): Undrawn Hours featured in April 2011.
• Landscapes Stories Magazine: Undrawn Hours featured in Issue 04, 2011.

Research

Paola's work is concerned with the representation of cultural identity, its shifts and states of transition and how these relate to the territories we inhabit. Her practice is rooted in concepts of human geography and utilises a straight visual approach that combines landscape and portraiture.

Since 2016, Paola has collaborated with the European University Institute (Florence) to create a body of photographic work that visually represents the migration crisis at the edges of Europe. This body of work supports the anthropological research project EU Bordercare, and is currently being exhibited in various locations around Europe.

Research grants

• 2015 European Cultural Foundation Step Beyond Grant
• 2014 Arts Council England

• 2013 European Cultural Foundation Step Beyond Grant
• 2011 Arts Council England
• 2010 Arts Council England