Shahria Sharmin (b. Bangladesh) is a visual artist and documentary photographer based in Dhaka. With an academic background in Public Administration from the University of Dhaka, she later studied at Pathshala South Asian Media Academy, where she began exploring photography as a tool to navigate questions of identity, belonging, and gender.

Shahria's work is grounded in long-term, intimate engagement with her subjects, often centering on themes of family, loss, and social exclusion. Her process is slow and intentional — she often uses a hand-built wooden street box camera, embracing the tactile and time-bound qualities of analog photography to build trust and deepen relationships.

Shahria's work has been recognized internationally: she was awarded second place in the Alexia Foundation Student Grant (2014) and selected for the Open Society Foundations’ Moving Walls 23 exhibition (2015). Call Me Heena was also shortlisted for the inaugural Women Photograph + Pulitzer Center Grant (2017), and received accolades from the International Photographer of the Year (IPOTY) and Magnum Photography Awards.

Rooted in tenderness and quiet defiance, Shahria's practice is a search for emotional truth — an attempt to reimagine the family through those who survive at its edges.

Awards

2014 Alexia Foundation, 2nd Place Student Grant

2014 FotoVisura, Top Finalist

2014 Pride Photo, 2nd Place under the category, “Getting Closer

2014 LGBTE International Art, The Best Photographer Prize

2014 Mosco Foto Award MIFA, 2nd place in life style category,

2014 Accademia Apulia UK , 2nd place

2015 Renaissance Photography Prize , Finalist

2016 International Photographer of the Year IPOTY

2016 Honorable mention in the Exposure Award

2017 Magnum Photography Award 2017, Juror’s Pick

2017 Women Photograph grant in conjunction with the Pulitzer Center on Crisis, Shortlisted

2018 IPA Documentary Award, Finalist

2019 World Press Photo Joop Swart Master Class

2019 LensCulture B&W Awards, Finalist

2019 World Press Photo 6X6 Global Talent from the Asia

2021 Benrido Award by Hariban Award

2024 22nd Julia Margaret Cameron Awards 2024, Category winner

2025 British Journal of Photography’s Ones to Watch

Exhibitions

Collective

2011 “Self-discovery” at Chobi Mela VI

2011 BPS 10th national photography competition, Bangladesh

2012 iiupe, Photography Exhibition, Bangladesh

2014 FotoVisura, Brisbane

2014 Photissima Art Fair, Turin

2014 Internazionale d’Arte LGBTE II S.A.L.I.G.IA, Turin

2014 Pride Photo Award, Old Church, Oudekerksplein 23, Amsterdam

2014 Obscura Festival, Penang

2015 London College of Communication

2015 Getty image gallery, London

2015 Beijing Photo Festival

2015 Open Society Foundation, Moving walls, New York

2015 Angkor Photo Festival, Slideshow, Cambodia

2017 Chobi Mela, Bangladesh

2017 Auckland Festival of Photography

2018 Singapore International Photography Festival SIPF

2018 Photo Kathmandu

2019 IPF – Hyderabad

2021 Format International Photography Festival

2021 Bangladesh art week, Dubai

2022 F3 – freiraum für fotografie, Berlin, Germany

Individual

2016 Hivos, Humanist Institute for Co-operation with Developing Countries, Netherland

2017 Hivos, Old Lutheran Church, Singel 411 / Corner Spui, Amsterdam

Selected Press

2014 Huffpost Review

2014 Feature Shoot Review

2014 Mail Online Review

2014 Imagination

2014 Mutantspace

2015 lens Blog – The New York Times Review

2015 Monovisions

2015 International Photography Magazine

2017 Chobi Mela

2017 BBC Culture

2017 Éditions Jentayu

2017 Wino Review

2018 Hyperallergic Review

2018 DhakaTribune

2019 kwerfeldein

2019 dodho magazine

2020 Wordt Vervolgd – Amnesty International

2020 Neocha magazine

2020 Foto Femme United