Contact

Mail: cian@cianobasmith.co.uk

Instagram: @cianobasmith
Commercial Enquiries:

Represented Worldwide by Wyatt-Clarke + Jones

office@wyattclarkejones.com

Clients

Financial Times, Port, Google, Nike, The Fader, The Guardian, New Statesman, M Magazine Le Monde, Facebook, Crack, Granta, Airbnb, NHS, Push, The Face, TIME, The New Yorker, Netflix, The Prince’s Trust, eBay, Vice, Shelter, Amazon Prime, BBC, Sky, The Telegraph, Kinfolk

Features

Paper Journal, Pylot, iGNANT, Creative Review, The Guardian, British Journal of Photography, It's Nice That, Dazed & Confused, Wonderland, Splash & Grab, Another Place, Wandering Bears, Humble Arts Foundation, Left A Bit, Despite The Illusion, Houston Centre for Photography, Trip, This Is Paper, The Ones We Love, Posi+Tive, Accidental Zine, Under Pressure, Joia, Perdiz, High Snobiety

Education

B.A (Hons) Photography, University of the West of England (First Class)

Lectures

Autograph

Scottish National Portrait Gallery

The Photographers Gallery

University of the West of England

London College of Communication

Create Jobs

Kingston University

Canterbury Christ Church University

Plymouth University

Nottingham Trent University

Middlesex University

Bath School of Art & Design

Falmouth University

Westminster University

Birmingham City University

Ravensbourne University

Brick Magazine

Photofusion

Experience

Assistant, Zed Nelson (July 2014 - June 2018)

Assistant, Chris Scott (April 2011 - February 2013)

All Rights Reserved © Cian Oba-Smith 2025. No part of this website may be reproduced without permission.

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Cian Oba-Smith is an Irish Nigerian photographer born and raised in London. His work focuses on communities and subcultures around the world with a particular interest in approaching subjects that are often misrepresented with a view to presenting them in an alternate light. The relationship between human experience and environment is at the core of his projects.

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Awards

Portrait of Britain - Winner (2024)

Palm Photo Prize - Selected (2024)

The Photographers Gallery New Talent Award - Winner (2023)

Ampersand/Photoworks Fellowship - Longlist (2023)

Foam Paul Huf Award - Nominee (2023)

Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize - Peoples Pick Winner (2022)

Portrait of Humanity - Selected (2020)

Foam Paul Huf Award - Nominee (2020)

Lightwork Artist-In-Residence (AIR) Program - Selected (2019)

Portrait Salon - Selected (2018)

Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize - Selected (2017)

Magenta Flash Forward - Winner (2017)

BJP Breakthrough Award - Graduate Single Image, Runner Up (2017)

I.P.F Photo Prize - Winner, 1st Prize (2017)

Magnum Photos Graduate Award - Shortlist (2017)

D&AD Next Photographer Award - Shortlist (2017)

Feature Shoot Emerging Photographer Award - Winner (2017)

Magnum & Photo London Graduate Award - Shortlist (2016)

Magnum & Hiive Faces of a Vibrant Economy Grant - Shortlist (2016)

D&AD New Blood Award (I-D Brief) - Winner (2015)

Magnum & Photo London Graduate Award - Shortlist (2015)

Ideastap Photographic Award with Magnum Photos - Shortlist (2014)

Chelsea & Westminster Hospital Bursary - Winner (2014)

International Street Photography Awards - Student Category, First Prize (2014)

Exhibitions

Portrait of Britain, Nationwide (UK, 2025)

Palm Photo Prize, 1014 Gallery (London, 2024)

Nuit Des Images, Photo Elysée (Lausanne, Switzerland, 2024)

Palm Photo Prize, Melkweg Expo (Amsterdam, 2024)

Sennen Summer Fayre, Faraway House (Sennen, 2023)

Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize, National Portrait Gallery (Edinburgh, 2023)

Notes on a Native Son: After Baldwin, Peckham 24, Copeland Park Gallery (London, 2023)

Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize, Cromwell Place Gallery (London, 2022)

The Unexposed, Rua de Miguel Bombarda (Porto, 2022)

PhotoEast, Waterfront Billboards (Ipswich, 2018)

PortraitSalon, Peckham Levels (London, 2018)

Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize, National Portrait Gallery (London, 2017)

Negative Feedback Exhibition, The Print Space (London, 2017)

Negative Feedback Issue #3 Launch, Kamio (London, 2017)

I.P.F Photo Prize Exhibition, House of Vans (London, 2017)

D&AD Next Photographer Exhibition, Truman Brewery (London, 2017)

Ian Parry Scholarship Exhibition, Mother (London, 2016)

Intimate Spaces, Now Gallery (London, 2016)

Splash & Grab #2, The Print Space (London, 2015)

MIND, Centrespace Gallery (Bristol, 2015)

International Street Photography Awards Exhibition, 71a Gallery (London, 2014)

Ideastap Photographic Award with Magnum Photos, Finalists Exhibition, Truman Brewery (London, 2014)

Splash & Grab #1, Portobello Photography Gallery (London, 2014)

Fluxure, Bargehouse (London, 2014)

Fluxure, UWE (Bristol, 2014)

SELF, The Island (Bristol, 2014)

Accidentally On Purpose #3 (Leeds, 2014)

Saatchi Screen, Saatchi Gallery (London) 2013

Miscellaneous, The Island (Bristol 2013)