Cristina Garzone

Cristina Garzone was born in Matera and lives in the province of Florence, she has been dedicating herself for years to amateur photography with a preference for reportage. In 2000 she attended the “Experimental Photography Center” in Prato. Currently she is a member of “Il Cupolone” BFI-CAFIAP in Florence where she held the position of vice president from 2013 to 2016, and of Sille Sanat Saray of Konya in Turkey. She is an honorary member of national and international Photo Clubs.

The artist, who was invited to Italian and foreign photography competitions, was deemed worthy of numerous awards in important international competitions over the years.

In April 2020 she was awarded the highest honor of international photography MFIAP (Maitre de la Federation Internationale de l’Art Photographique), once again maintains the primacy in Italy to be the first and only Italian female photographer to have achieved a title so important.
On 1st February 2021, she was awarded with EFIAP/d1 (Excellence FIAP Diamant 1) distinction and in March 2022 she had EFIAP/d2 honor, on1st March 2023 she was awarded with EFIAP/d3 (Excellence FIAP Diamond 3). Also in March 2023 she was awarded from the Italian Federation with the honor of IFI (Illustrious Italian Photographer) July 2021 she was awarded the EFIAF honor (Excellence of the FIAF), and in March 2023 she was recognized the EFIAF / b honor. In December 2021 with her photo club ‘IL CUPOLONE’ won the 16th FIAP Club World Cup 2021 with two of her photos.

Hers personal exhibitions have been invited to Italy and abroad, hers exhibitions were held in many Italian regions and in FIAP Exhibition Centre abroad, in September 2022 in Kranj in Slovenia, in Spain in February 2022 at the FineArt Photographic Festival in Igualada, in May 2022 in Reus, in June 2022 Langreo in Asturias and in December 2022 in Ceuta.
In July 2021 she was awarded with the EFIAF (FIAF Excellence) distinction, the firs and only woman in Italy.
In the first edition of “Albenga International Photography” in 2014 she was the main author with two of her personal exhibitions. On that occasion she was awarded the Zonta International Club prize in Alassio, while in the second edition of “Albenga International Photography” in 2016 she was appointed Artistic Director of the event itself.
In May 2016 is invited with one of her personal exibition to the most important photographic event in Switzerland “Photo Muensingen 2016”.
October 2016 has the vernissage of one of her exhibitions in Salzburg (Austria).
In 2018 she was invited to the city of Matera by the committee Maria SS. Della Bruna to exhibit two of her exhibitions “Coptic Mysticism” and “Matera on the Way: Between Faith and Culture”, for Matera European Capital of Culture for 2019, at the former San Rocco Hospital.
The exhibition “Matera on the Way: Between Faith and Culture” was also requested in Salzburg (Austria) by the Salzburger Fotoklub, on the occasion of the joint event Italy-Austria for the celebration of San Rupert patron of the city, on this occasion she was nominated as honorary member of the oldest Fotoclub in Austria.
In 2015, one of her images was chosen to be part of the 1st Exhibition of the World Authors honored with FIAP, the “Fiap Females Photographers” held in Muscat in Oman, where she is invited as a guest of honor to represent the Italian National Team. Her images, which were projected in the Aula Magna of the University of Muscat to Omanite photographers, are part of a reportage of recent travels to various regions of the world.
Her photos have appeared on magazine covers and various publications, also included in monographs of various arguments and for advertising.
In 2014 the magazine “DOVE” of the Rizzoli Corriere della Sera Group publishes a photo of her taken in LALIBELA.
In February 2020, in the city of Albenga, her book “MISTICISMO COPTO” was presented by Prof. Paolo Tavaroli, president of the S. Giorgio Photographic Club of Albenga. In June 2021 her second book “MARIA DE BRUNA, Rituals, History and Images” in collaboration with Nicola D’Imperio who wrote the historical part and Cristina the photographic part, published by Edizioni Magister of Matera, was presented in the city of Matera.
In a recent interview, she explained his photography : “What I’ve always liked to portray with my photographs are people, who are in their environment where they live, work, study, pray etc., to succeed in this, I need to approach them patiently and humbly and to try to establish a friendly relationship with the subjects, make them feel at ease all the time, trying to capture their best expression, which is always the most natural expression, in their dignity and never in their tragedies.
The combination of color in all its exceptions in the various ethnic contexts are the elements that motivate Cristina Garzone to continue the search for new details of daily life in the sign of good photography.