Who am I

Steve Dean Mendes was born and raised in a small town in the south of Portugal and lives in Belgium, Wichelen. He is a contemporary artist who mainly works on long-term photographic projects. Like the previous project, Emotions in between emotions, which ended with a book publication, it took 4 years to complete the project. Because of his bachelor's degree in Sociology, his vision and practice is based on scientific methodology. From a tabula rasa perspective, he deals with social issues, contemporary sociological and societal topics such as depression, self-image, social exclusion, self-mutilation and tries to give his characters a voice through art, giving them a sense of purpose and belonging. Through art, he fights against his inner traumas and tries to bring understanding to the struggles that make us human.

Exhibitions

5/2021 - Éloquence Photo Exhibition - Proof of existence / Deep emotions from Photography  - Sapporo Cultural Arts Community Center Scarts Court - Sapporo, Japan

9/2021 - Image Nation - The New Aesthetics - Fondazione Luciana Matalon - Milan, Italy

4/2022 - Silent Noise - Verduyn Gallery - Moregem, Belgium

5/2022 - ImageNation - Galerie Joseph Le Palais - Paris, France

5/2022 - Éloquence Photo Exhibition - Deep emotions from Photography  - Sapporo Cultural Arts Community Center Scarts Court - Sapporo, Japan

9/2022 - ImageNation - Fondazione Luciana Matalon - Milan, Italy

11/2022 - HeadOn Photo Festival - Bondy Beach, Sydney, Australia

11/2022 - BBA Gallery Photography Award 2022 - Kühlhaus, Berlin, Germany​

5/2023 - Éloquence Photo Exhibition - Proof of existence / What the subject tells us  - Sapporo Cultural Arts Community Center Scarts Court - Sapporo, Japan

5/2023 - Iconic Photo Shop - ImageNation - Galerie Joseph Le Palais - Paris, France

5/2024 - Éloquence Photo Exhibition - Deep emotions from Photography  - Sapporo Cultural Arts Community Center Scarts Court - Sapporo, Japan

1/2025 - XXX OCULI - IMAGINAIR Art/space – Brussels, Belgium

Awards &Nominations

Hasselblad Masters 2023 Portrait - Finalist

1839 Awards - Color Photography Contest, Category People - Honorable Mention

British Journal of Photography Portrait of Humanity Vol. 5 - Shortlist + Published in the book Portrait of Humanity Vol. 5

HeadOn PhotoFestival - Portrait award 2022 - Semi Finalist

BBA Gallery Photography Prize 2022 - Finalist

BBA Gallery MPB European Award 2022 - Finalist

BBA Gallery Berlin Photo Week 2022 - Shortlisted

IPA 2022 - International Photo Awards

Category Fine Art, Portrait series - Honorable mention 

PX3 Prix de la Photography 2022

Category Fine Art, Portrait series - Honorable mention 

Beautiful Bizarre Inprnt Photography prize 2022 Finalist

Belfast Photo Festival 2022 - Shortlisted book Emotions In Between Emotions

Lensculture Critics’ Choice Award  2021 Winner Critics Pick by Xavier Seule (Director La Galerie VU’)

MIFA 2021 - Moscow International  Photo Awards Bronze, Category People Fine Art Portrait series​

TIFA 2020 - Tokyo International  Photo AwardsBronze, Category People Fine Art Portrait series​

IPA 2020 - International Photo Awards 3rd Place, Category Fashion, Advertisement Commercial

IPA 2020 - International Photo Awards Jury Top 5 Selection - Tiffany Sprague (YALE University Art Gallery)

IPA 2020 - International Photo Awards Honorable Mention , Category Fine Art, Portrait series

The Gucci Beauty Glitch, “Unconventional Beauty” Photo Vogue Italia / Gucci contest 2020 - Finalist

​TIFA 2019 - Tokyo International  Photo Awards Gold, Category People Portrait series

BIFA 2019 - Budapest International Photo Awards Bronze, Category People Portrait series

​IPA 2019 - International Photo Awards 2nd Place, Category Fine Art, Portrait series

The Independent Photographer Visual story teller Contest 2019 - Finalist

The Sound of Color Contest - 500px.com 1st prize 2016