Javier Corso Photographer & National Geographic Explorer
❝When I take pictures I like to get close to my characters. My approach, however, is more reminiscent of that of a writer peering into the abyss of his own creatures than that of a photographer. As an avid reader of adventure novels I find many parallels between the characters of the stories I’ve read and the people I’ve been photographing for the past decade. I capture them for what they are, heroes or villains. In my series I’m interested in portraying the stories of people who inhabit the edges of existence, legality or extinction and who carry this often unfair burden with astonishing normality. Although their stories happen here and now, they share resemblance with the ones we’ve seen, read or heard numerous times before. By recognizing and highlighting these patterns I honor their tireless resilience.❞
Javier Corso (1989) is a visual storyteller and National Geographic Explorer. His photographic work originates from the need to communicate about aspects of the human condition through means of local, small-scale stories. He began working as a documentary photographer in 2011, publishing in international media like National Geographic, Al Jazeera, TIME Lightbox or GEO magazine. Corso's documentary work has been recognized and funded by a number of institutions, including BANFF Mountain Film and Book Festival and National Geographic Society.
His photographs have been exhibited at cultural centers such as The Cervantes Institute in New York, the Florida Museum of Photographic Arts or Spanish Embassy in Tokio, among others. In 2018, Corso was selected for the traveling exhibition "Creadores de Conciencia" which compiles the work of 40 authors under the topic "committed photographers" of Spain. In 2016 he founded OAK STORIES, a production company that creates original documentary content and provides services as creative agency to brands and organizations such as National Geographic Creative Works, United Nations or Mapfre Foundation.
Special Jury Mention BANFF Mountain Book & Film Festival, Canada
· Finalist STORIES Award, Melbourn · Selected AphF Photo Book, Athens · Finalist Photo Book Encontros Imagem, Braga
2021
Winner INJUVE Journalism Award, Madrid · Winner Helsinki Photo Festival, Helsinki · Selected FUTURES Talent' Photo Book Exhibition · Finalist World Report Award (WRA), Festival della Fotografia Etica, Lodi
Winner National Geographic Early Career Grant for Explorers · Selected Rencontres Photographiques Albert-Kahn, París · Winner III Crisálida Signo Editores · Silver Medal Prix de la Photographie Paris (PX3) · Finalist Siena International Photography Awards (SIPA) · Finalist DAYS JAPAN International Photojournalism Awards, Tokio · Selected LUMIX Festival for Young Photojournalism, Hannover
2017
Finalist Photogrvphy Grant, 3rd Edition · Finalist World Report Award (WRA), Festival della Fotografia Etica, Lodi · Finalist Direct Look Photography Awards, Moscow · Finalist Prize for Contemporary African Photography (CAP) · Finalist Siena International Photography Awards (SIPA) · Best Photostories Balkan Photo Awards, Balkan Photo Festival · Winner Grant Joan Cabanas-Alibau, Qgat Foto
2016
Honorable Mentions (2), International Photography Awards (IPA) · Finalist European Photographer Award, Festival della Fotografia Etica (WRA) · Bronze Medal Prix de la Photographie Paris (PX3) · Winner CLIC'16 Shortfilm, Diomira & Generalitat de Catalunya
2015
Jessica Lum Award for excellence in photojournalism, Morpholio · Emerging Talent Jury Winner EyeTime 2015, Morpholio · 3th Prize Photo Essay, Moscow International Foto Awards (MIFA) · Honorable Mentions (3), International Photography Awards (IPA) · Selected PHOTO BOOK Exhibition, Guatephoto Festival · Selected EI Awards, Encontros da Imagem Braga · Finalist DOC.Field Documentary Photography Dummy Awards · Selected PHOTO BOOK WEEK, Editorial La Fábrica · Winner PHOTON Novel Author Grant, International PHOTON Festival · Selected Itinerarios Fotográfcios PA-TA-TA Festival · Photo Romania Grant for Young Photographers, Photo Romania Festival · Selected Descubrimientos Photo España, Festival Internacional PhotoEspaña · Best 50th photographers BIPA AWARDS 2015, Valid Foto Gallery · Winner project EMERGENCIAS 2015 Emerging Aritist, Centro Cultural de Noáin
2014
Emerging Talent Jury Winner EyeTime 2014, Morpholio · Winner project Fòrum Fotogràfic Can Basté Grant, Espai Fotogràfic Can Basté · Winner project CLIC'14 Grant, Diomira & Generalitat de Catalunya · Finalist PHOTON Novel Author Grant, International PHOTON Festival · Honor Award Popular Culture Photography Contest 2013, General Direction of Fine Arts (Spain)
2013
Finalist Florence-Shanghai Prize 2013, Present Art Festival · First Prize III Tritón Multimedia Contest of Digital Photography, AFS · Official selection VAIVÉN exhibition, Spain arts & culture
2012
Finalist LUX 2012 Awards, Professional Photographers Association of Spain (AFPE)
EXHIBITIONS
2022
Spanish Embassy in Japan (Tokyo) · Photo Forum Festival (Barcelona)
2021
World Gallery BtheTravelBrand (Madrid) · ACAMPA (A Coruña) · HELPHOTO (Helsinki)
2020
Sala Cicus de la Universidad de Sevilla (Sevilla), Museo Barjola (Gijón)
2019
Círculo de Bellas Artes (Madrid) · La Lonja (Zaragoza) · World Gallery BtheTravelBrand (Barcelona) · Sala Riu (Sta. Coloma de Gramanet)
2018
Palau Robert (Barcelona) · Festival IMAGIANARIA (Castellón)
2017
Festival DOCfield (Barcelona) · Fundació Cabanas (St Cugat del Vallés) · FineArt Igualada (Igualada)
2016
Photogenic Festival (Barcelona) · Photo Romania Festival (Cluj Napoca) · PHOTON festival (Valencia) · La Nau Bostik, (Barcelona) · Espacio ALUMBRE (Ciudad Real) · Espai Fotogràfic Can Basté (Barcelona)
2015
Centro Cultural de Noáin (Navarra) · Florida Museum of Photographic Arts (Tampa) · VISA OFF Festival (Perpignan) · Itinerarios Fotográficos PA-TA-TA Festival (Granada)
2014
Instituto Cervantes de Albuquerque (Nuevo Mèxico) · XIII Fòrum Fotogràfic Can Basté (Barcelona) · Fundación SETBA (Barcelona) · VISA OFF Festival (Perpignan) · XI Olot Photographic Biennial (Olot) · XIX Strip Art exhibition of young artists (Barcelona) · Ciudadela de Jaca Museum (Jaca) · Instituto Cervantes de Nueva York (New York)
2013
International Festival FotoWeek DC (Washington D.C.) · Traveling exhibition LUX'12 Awards (Spain)
EXHIBITIONS
2022
Spanish Embassy in Japan (Tokyo) · Photo Forum Festival (Barcelona)
2021
World Gallery BtheTravelBrand (Madrid) · ACAMPA (A Coruña) · HELPHOTO (Helsinki)
2020
Sala Cicus de la Universidad de Sevilla (Sevilla), Museo Barjola (Gijón)
2019
Círculo de Bellas Artes (Madrid) · La Lonja (Zaragoza) · World Gallery BtheTravelBrand (Barcelona) · Sala Riu (Sta. Coloma de Gramanet)
2018
Palau Robert (Barcelona) · Festival IMAGIANARIA (Castellón)
2017
Festival DOCfield (Barcelona) · Fundació Cabanas (St Cugat del Vallés) · FineArt Igualada (Igualada)
2016
Photogenic Festival (Barcelona) · Photo Romania Festival (Cluj Napoca) · PHOTON festival (Valencia) · La Nau Bostik, (Barcelona) · Espacio ALUMBRE (Ciudad Real) · Espai Fotogràfic Can Basté (Barcelona)
2015
Centro Cultural de Noáin (Navarra) · Florida Museum of Photographic Arts (Tampa) · VISA OFF Festival (Perpignan) · Itinerarios Fotográficos PA-TA-TA Festival (Granada)
2014
Instituto Cervantes de Albuquerque (Nuevo Mèxico) · XIII Fòrum Fotogràfic Can Basté (Barcelona) · Fundación SETBA (Barcelona) · VISA OFF Festival (Perpignan) · XI Olot Photographic Biennial (Olot) · XIX Strip Art exhibition of young artists (Barcelona) · Ciudadela de Jaca Museum (Jaca) · Instituto Cervantes de Nueva York (New York)
2013
International Festival FotoWeek DC (Washington D.C.) · Traveling exhibition LUX'12 Awards (Spain)
Javier Corso
Javier Corso is a photographer based in Barcelona, founder and director at OAK STORIES (documentary agency and production company), and National Geographic Explorer.