Profile
Artist Statement
Christel Pilkaer Thomsen is a Danish master’s student in photography at the Royal College of Art in London. She has previously studied photography in both Denmark and Iceland, and she holds a bachelor´s degree in Dramaturgy from Aarhus University, Denmark. Through Christel's photographic practice she explores different subjects in relation to memory, identity and our human behaviour. Furthermore, she has a broad interest in the visual and performative arts, and storytelling is often the core of her practice connecting her background in theatre and stage design with photography. Her photographic style is analog and experimental, and she enjoys mixing her photographs with other mediums and text pieces inviting the viewer on a tactile journey with her.
In connection with Christel's interest in visual storytelling she is also working as a production designer, costume maker and prop designer on short movies. Recently she worked as a production designer on the short movie Fodbolddommeren (Eng. The Football Referee) which premiered earlier this year.
If you want to know more about all the different projects Christel is working on, you can sign up to her new irregular monthly newsletter, where you receive news about projects, exciting updates and other contents not posted on social media.
If you are interested, you can sign up here: https://tinyletter.com/christelpilkaerthomsen
Education
Master in Fine Art Photography: MA Photography, Oct. 2017 – ongoing, Royal College of Art, London, UK
Education in Creative Photography: BA in photography - first-year, Aug. 2015 – June 2016, Ljosmyndaskolinn, Iceland
Course at Engelsholm Højskole (focus on photography, vj’ing, music, literature): College (Danish Højskole), Jan. 2015 – July 2015, Engelsholm Højskole, Denmark
Course at Oure Højskole (focus on acting): College (Danish Højskole), Nov. 2014 – Dec. 2014, Oure Højskole, Denmark
Bachelor in Dramaturgy: BA in Dramaturgy, Sept. 2010 – July 2014, Aarhus University, Denmark
Course at Krabbesholm Højskole (focus on fine art): College (Danish Højskole), Jan. 2009 – June 2009, Krabbesholm Højskole, Denmark
Awards
2nd cycle artist for Parallel - European Photo Based Platform 2018-19
Finalist for the European Photography Award 2018
Shortlisted for the ReachOutRCA - Durham Wharf Award 2018
Group Shows
PPS - Photography Project Space - Ed. 01, Royal College of Art, Battersea, London, UK, Oct. 2018, (showing pictures from the series: 'See the Sea - Invisible visibility')
Sailing on a plastic Sea, Sail Britains Coastline Project, at St Katharine Docks, London, UK, 0ct. 2018, (showing pictures from the series: 'See the Sea - Invisible visibility')
6 Academies - European Photography Award, at Unseen Photo, Amsterdam, Netherlands, Sept. 2018, (showing pictures from the series: 'T O M R U M')
Parallel Intersection Zagreb - second cycle artists, at Organ Vida, Zagreb, Croatia, Sept. 2018, (showing pictures from the series: 'T O M R U M')
Family of No Man, Cosmos Arles Books, Les Recontres d'Arles, Arles, France, June-Sept. 2018, (showing pictures from the series: 'If there was someone to keep me at home - it would be you')
WIP Show - RCA, The Royal College of Art, London, UK, Jan. 2018, (showing the work: 'Face OFF - part one')
Steypa Exhibition, Ólafsvík, Iceland, June-Aug. 2016, (showing the work: 'Cinematic Iceland')
Publications
T O M R U M (Eng. E M P T Y S P A C E S), Christel Pilkaer Thomsen, white_crystal Publications, 2018