Rafal Milach is a documentary photographer based in Warsaw, Poland. He graduated Academy of Fine Arts in Katowice, Poland and ITF in Opava, Czech Republic. For more than 10 years he has been working on transition issues in Russian speaking countries and CEE region. This work resulted with the book called 7 Rooms (Kehrer Verlag 2011) and such essays as The Grey (2002), Wunderland (2006) or Black Sea of Concrete (2009). Rafal’s photos were exhibited in MoCA Shanghai and are the part of collection of Kiyosato Museum of Photographic Art in Japan. They have been also presented within Photoespana, Look3, Rencontres Photogrphiques d’Arles. In 2007 Rafal took part in Joop Swart Masterclass run by World Press Photo Foundation. Within next 3 years he received stipends from Polish Ministry of Culture, European Cultural Foundaion and Visegrad Fund. His Pictures have been awarded in World Press Photo, Pictures of the Year International, Photography Book Now and New York Photo Festival Awards.
In 2006 together with 10 other Central Eastern European photographers, Rafal created a photo collective Sputnik Photos,, to document, promote and spread knowledge on transition issues in CEE countries. In 2011 Rafal became a guest lecturer of Institute for Creative Photography at the Silesian University in Opava / Czech Republic.
SOLO SHOWS
2011
Black Sea of Concrete – V8 Gallery / Cologne, Germany
2010
Disappearing Circus – Hangar 22 / Tel Aviv, Israel
Black Sea of Concrete – Yours Gallery / Warsaw / Poland
2008
Disappearing Circus – 8th Triennial of Photography Backlight / Tampere, Finland
The Grey – RA Gallery / Kiev / Ukraine
Young Russia – Camelot Gallery / Cracow / Poland
2007
Young Russia – Yours Gallery / Warsaw / Poland
2003
The Grey – Photoespana, Off section / Madrid / Spain
GROUP SHOWS
2011
IS(not) – GGF / Gdansk National Museum / Gdansk, Poland, B&B Gallery / Bielsko Biala, Bochenska Gallery / Warsaw, Photoport Gallery / Bratislava, Sloavakia, LA Art Museum / Hveragerdi, Iceland, Hof / Akureyri, Iceland, Gerduberg Cultural Center / Reykjavik, Iceland,
2010
U – Noorderlicht Fotogalerie / Groningen, The Netherlands
U – European House of Photography / Bratislava, Slovakia
All creatures great and small – Zacheta Gallery / Warsaw / Poland
2009
Inside Outside New Images from Russia – Photoweek DC festival / Washington DC, US
Photographs by Next Generation Young Portfolio Acquisitions – Kiyosato Museum of Photographic Arts / Japan
2008
World Press Photo – worldwide traveling group exhibition
UNSEEN – Museum of Contemporary Arts MoCA Shanghai / Shanghai / China
Red Eyes Effect – group exhibition in CSW Centre for Contemporary Art Ujazdowski Castle / Warsaw, Poland
2006
New Documentalists – CSW Centre for Contemporary Art Ujazdowski Castle / Warsaw / Poland
SCREENINGS / LECTURES
2010
I’m not a photojournalist – screening and lecture in Hangar 22 / Tel Aviv, Israel
Black Sea of Concrete – screening within Projections of Reality / Moscow, Russia
I’m not a photojournalist – lecture and workshop in Krasnoyarsk Museum of Contemporary Art / Krasnoyarsk, Russia
2009
Disappearing Circus – screening within FOTOGRAFIA festival / Rome, Italy
Young Russia – multimedia solo show within SCAN festival / Tarragona, Spain
2008
I’m not a photojournalist – screening and lecture in RA Gallery / Kiev, Ukraine
Disappearing Circus – screening within LOOK3 festival of photography / Charlottesville, US
Rencontres d’Arles – group screening / Arles, France
I’m not a photojournalist – screening and lecture in Zacheta Gallery / Warsaw
AWARDS
2011
Photography Book Now – Winner in Documentary Category / New York, USA
New York Photo Festival – Jury’s Choice Grand Prize / New York, USA
New York Photo Festival – 1’st prize in category Advertisement / New York, USA
New York Photo Festival – honourable mention in Photo Book Project / New York, USA
2009
Photography Book Now – Grand Prize / New York / USA
Pictures of the Year International – II prize, for picture story in category Science,
Natural History / Missouri / USA
Grand Press Photo – I prize for picture story in category Nature / Poland
2008
World Press Photo – I prize for picture story in category Arts and Entertainment /
Amsterdam / the Netherlands
Oscar Barnack Award – finalist / Germany
Grand Press Photo – II prize for picture story in category People / Poland
2007
Polish Press Photo – III prize for picture story in category Art and Culture / Poland
2006
Newsweek Poland Photo Awards – I prize for picture story in category News / Poland
Grand Press Photo – II prize for single picture in category People / Poland
Guardian Weekend Photography – Prize commended in category Portrait / UK
2005
Newsweek Poland Photo Awards – III prize for picture story in category Culture / Poland
Mio Photo Award – honorary prize / Japan
BOOKS
2012
In the Car with R / Czytelnia Sztuki / Poland
2011
7 Rooms / Kehrer Verlag / Germany and Treemedia / Russia
IS(not) / Collective project by Sputnik Photos / Poland
House 2010 / House LPP
Maroko / self published
2010
U / Collective project by Sputnik Photos / Poland
2009
This day of Change / Collective project by Courrier Japon Magazine / Kodansha Press , Japan
2006
At the Border / Collective project by Sputnik Photos / Poland
2002
The Grey / Frodo / Poland
EDUCATION / TRAINING
2007
World Press Photo Joop Swart Masterclass / Amsterdam / The Netherlands
2004
VII Agency Training for photojournalists from Eastern European Countries / France
2003
ITF (Institute for Creative Photography) / Opava, Czech Republic (Bc. 2003)
2002
Academy of Fine Arts in Katowice / Poland (MFA 2002)
GRANTS / RESIDENCE
2010
EEA & Norway Grant for Sputnik Photos / Warsaw / Poland
European Cultural Foundation grant for Sputnik Photos / Amsterdam, The Netherlands
2009
Young Poland – Polish Ministry of Culture grant for young artists / Poland
Visegrad Fund grant for Sputnik Photos / Slovakia
2007
Closer Look European Cultural Foundation travel grant / The Netherlands
2006
Kulturkontakt Artist in Residence / Vienna / Austria
European Cultural Foundation grant for Sputnik Photos / The Netherlands
Visegrad Fund grant for Sputnik Photos / Slovakia
CURATORIAL WORK
2011
Rough cut / AF student’s year book
25/25 by Bartek Lurka / book and exhibition within Photomonth Show OFF
Don’t mess with Texas by Tomek Liboska and Michal Jedrzejowski / book and exhibition within Photomonth Show OFF
COLLECTIONS
Kiyosato Museum of Photographic Art (2003-2009) / Japan
Gliwice Museum / Poland
Private collections
EDITORIAL WORK
Business Week, Courrier International, Courrier Japon, D de Repubblica, DF Gazeta Wyborcza, DNA magazine of Diario di Noticias, El Duende, Elle, Epsilon magazine, Exit, Exklusiv, GQ Italy, GQ US, Die Zeit, Internazionale, Time, Maxim, Le Monde 2, Maleman, Newsweek, Newsweek Japan, Newsweek Poland, Pani, American Photo, PHOTO, Polityka, Private, Przekroj, SestDiena, Viva!, Vision, Zing.